Grant County is a mid-sized county in central Washington, situated on the Columbia Plateau and centered on the Quincy Basin. It borders the Columbia River along portions of its southern and eastern edges and includes significant stretches of shrub-steppe landscape as well as irrigated agricultural land. Established in 1909 and named for Ulysses S. Grant, the county developed alongside early 20th-century irrigation projects and later expanded rapidly with the Columbia Basin Project, which reshaped settlement patterns and local agriculture. Today, Grant County’s population is roughly 100,000, with residents concentrated in cities such as Moses Lake and Ephrata amid extensive rural areas. The economy is anchored by irrigated farming (including potatoes, corn, and orchard crops), food processing, and logistics tied to major transportation corridors, with tourism and recreation also associated with lakes and the Columbia River. The county seat is Ephrata.

Grant County Local Demographic Profile

Grant County is located in central Washington, spanning much of the Columbia Basin and anchored by communities such as Moses Lake and Ephrata. It lies east of the Cascade Range and is part of the state’s agriculturally intensive irrigated basin region.

Population Size

According to the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Grant County, Washington, Grant County had an estimated population of 103,231 (2023).

Age & Gender

According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (most recent profile measures shown on that page):

  • Age distribution (share of total population)
    • Under 18 years: 31.4%
    • 65 years and over: 11.4%
  • Gender ratio
    • Female persons: 47.8%
    • Male persons: 52.2%

Racial & Ethnic Composition

According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts:

  • Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 41.6%
  • Race (alone, unless otherwise noted):
    • White: 74.1%
    • Black or African American: 1.4%
    • American Indian and Alaska Native: 1.6%
    • Asian: 1.7%
    • Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 0.4%
    • Two or More Races: 18.8%

Household & Housing Data

According to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts:

  • Households (2018–2022): 30,617
  • Persons per household (2018–2022): 3.24
  • Owner-occupied housing unit rate (2018–2022): 65.4%
  • Median value of owner-occupied housing units (2018–2022, in 2022 dollars): $283,700
  • Median gross rent (2018–2022, in 2022 dollars): $1,144

For local government and planning resources, visit the Grant County official website.

Email Usage

Grant County’s large, largely rural geography and widely spaced communities can raise the cost of last‑mile network builds, making digital communication more dependent on where broadband infrastructure is available.

Direct county-level email usage statistics are not routinely published; email adoption is commonly inferred from proxy indicators such as household broadband subscriptions, computer availability, and age structure reported by the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and the Census data portal. These measures track the capacity to access email rather than email use itself.

Digital access indicators in the ACS (internet subscriptions and computer access) provide the primary benchmarks for likely email access in Grant County. Age distribution also matters because older cohorts generally show lower adoption of internet-based communication; county age composition can be referenced through QuickFacts for Grant County, Washington. Gender distribution is typically a weaker predictor than age and broadband access in email adoption; county sex composition is available from the same sources.

Connectivity constraints in rural areas—limited provider competition, gaps in wireline coverage, and variable mobile service quality—are commonly documented in Washington broadband planning resources such as the Washington State Broadband Office.

Mobile Phone Usage

Grant County is a large, predominantly rural county in central Washington anchored by Moses Lake and Ephrata, with extensive irrigated agriculture, the Columbia Basin’s canal system, and wide stretches of low-density settlement. Terrain is mostly open basin and farmland with several population centers separated by long distances, a pattern that influences mobile connectivity by increasing the cost of continuous coverage and making performance more variable along rural roads and in sparsely populated areas.

Data notes and limitations (county-specific vs. broader-area indicators)

County-level, device-type and “mobile-only” adoption statistics are limited in standard public datasets. The most defensible county-level adoption indicators generally come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s household internet subscription tables (which distinguish “cellular data plan” from other subscription types). Network availability is best represented by the FCC’s Broadband Data Collection (BDC) availability layers, which reflect where providers report service, not whether households subscribe or experience consistent performance.

Network availability (coverage): 4G LTE and 5G

Primary source for availability: the FCC’s provider-reported availability data.

  • The FCC’s Broadband Data Collection provides location-based availability by technology, including mobile broadband. This is the principal public reference for where 4G/5G is reported as available across Grant County, distinct from adoption. See the FCC’s BDC and mapping hub at FCC National Broadband Map.
  • Mobile coverage in Grant County is typically strongest in and around the I‑90 corridor (including Moses Lake), state highways, and incorporated areas (e.g., Ephrata, Quincy, Soap Lake, Royal City), with more variability in sparsely populated agricultural areas and along less-traveled routes. This pattern aligns with rural network deployment economics and tower spacing rather than household demand alone.

4G vs. 5G availability (general pattern; verify in FCC map for specific locations):

  • 4G LTE is generally the baseline mobile broadband layer across most settled parts of the county as reported in availability datasets.
  • 5G availability is usually more geographically concentrated than LTE, with the most continuous reported coverage near population centers and major transportation corridors. Because “5G available” can include a range of frequency bands and performance, the FCC availability view should be treated as a presence indicator rather than a guarantee of indoor coverage or consistent speeds.

Key distinction:

  • Availability (FCC BDC) indicates reported service at locations.
  • Adoption (Census household subscription) indicates whether households pay for and use cellular data plans for internet access.

Household adoption indicators (mobile access and mobile internet use)

Best public indicator at county level: U.S. Census Bureau household internet subscription type.

  • The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) includes a category for households with an internet subscription via a cellular data plan. This provides an adoption measure that can be compared with cable, fiber, DSL, satellite, and “no subscription.” County-level tables are accessible through data.census.gov (search for Grant County, WA and “Internet subscriptions” / “cellular data plan”).
  • ACS measures household subscription rather than signal coverage and does not specify 4G vs. 5G usage. It also does not directly enumerate smartphone ownership; it indicates that a household reports a cellular data plan as an internet subscription type.

Interpretation constraints:

  • ACS “cellular data plan” reflects that at least one household member subscribes and the household uses that plan for internet access. It does not indicate primary vs. secondary connectivity unless analyzed alongside other subscription types (some households report multiple).
  • County-level ACS estimates have margins of error and can be less stable for smaller subpopulations.

Mobile internet usage patterns (what can be stated reliably)

Technology generation (4G/5G) usage at county level:

  • Publicly accessible, methodologically consistent county-level statistics on the share of users on 4G vs. 5G are not typically published in official datasets. As a result, county-specific “usage patterns” by generation cannot be stated definitively without proprietary carrier analytics or third-party measurement products.

What can be described using public sources:

Common device types (smartphones vs. other devices)

County-level device-type breakdown:

  • Official county-level counts of smartphone vs. basic phone ownership are not commonly published in a consistent public series. The ACS focuses on household subscription types and device availability categories rather than explicitly enumerating smartphones. Therefore, a definitive Grant County split between smartphones and non-smartphones is not available from standard public sources.

Proxy indicators that are available publicly:

  • Household access and subscription measures (including cellular data plans) from data.census.gov can be used as indirect indicators of mobile internet use, but they do not uniquely identify device types used to access that service (phone vs. hotspot vs. tablet).

Demographic and geographic factors influencing mobile usage and connectivity

Geography and settlement pattern:

  • Grant County’s low population density and dispersed towns create longer backhaul distances and wider tower spacing requirements, affecting coverage continuity and in-building performance outside core towns.
  • Agricultural land use and irrigation infrastructure create large areas with limited residential density, which tends to concentrate stronger mobile network buildout around towns, highways, and commercial/industrial clusters.

Socioeconomic and household factors (measurable via ACS):

  • Differences in income, housing costs, and household composition influence whether cellular data plans are used as a primary internet connection versus a supplement to fixed broadband. These relationships can be examined using ACS social and internet-subscription tables via data.census.gov, but the ACS does not directly label “mobile-only households” in a single metric without combining multiple table fields.

Institutional anchors and travel corridors:

  • Connectivity investment and reported availability commonly align with Moses Lake’s role as a service hub and with major corridors (I‑90, state routes) that carry commuter, freight, and agricultural transport traffic, which can increase the priority for continuous outdoor coverage along those routes relative to remote interior areas.

Local and official reference points

Clear separation summary: availability vs. adoption

  • Network availability (4G/5G): best represented by the FCC National Broadband Map, which shows where mobile broadband is reported as available.
  • Household adoption (cellular internet subscription): best represented by ACS household subscription tables on data.census.gov, which show the share and count of households reporting an internet subscription via a cellular data plan.
  • Device-type prevalence (smartphone vs. other): not available as a definitive county-level statistic in standard official datasets; proxies exist but do not produce a validated smartphone/non-smartphone split for Grant County.

Social Media Trends

Grant County is in central Washington on the Columbia Basin, with notable population centers such as Moses Lake and Ephrata. The county’s economy is strongly shaped by irrigated agriculture (Columbia Basin Project), food processing, and logistics along I‑90, with a sizable share of Spanish‑speaking residents and a mix of rural communities and small cities—factors that often correlate with heavy mobile-first internet use and strong uptake of video- and messaging-centric platforms.

User statistics (penetration / residents active on social platforms)

  • No authoritative, county-specific social media penetration rate is regularly published by major survey organizations. Publicly available measurement is typically reported at the U.S. level or by broad regions rather than individual counties.
  • National benchmarks commonly used for local planning:
  • Practical implication for Grant County: given typical rural–urban patterns in U.S. surveys, overall usage is generally expected to be broadly comparable to national adult usage, with differences driven more by age, language, and broadband/mobile access than by county boundaries (county-specific percentages are not available from Pew).

Age group trends (who uses social media most)

Using U.S. adult patterns from Pew (not county-specific):

  • 18–29: highest adoption; near-universal use of at least one platform in Pew’s tracking.
  • 30–49: similarly high overall usage, with strong presence on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
  • 50–64: majority use, but lower than under‑50s; Facebook and YouTube dominate.
  • 65+: lowest adoption but still a substantial minority; Facebook and YouTube most common.

Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use (Fact Sheet).

Gender breakdown

Pew’s U.S. findings (platform-by-platform) show gender differences vary by platform rather than a single, consistent “overall” gap:

  • Pinterest and Instagram: typically skew more female in U.S. surveys.
  • Reddit: typically skews more male.
  • Facebook and YouTube: closer to balanced by gender compared with other platforms.

Source: Pew Research Center platform demographic tables.

Most-used platforms (percentages where available)

County-level platform shares are not published in a standardized way, so the most reliable reference is U.S. adult usage from Pew:

  • YouTube: ~83% of U.S. adults
  • Facebook: ~68%
  • Instagram: ~47%
  • Pinterest: ~35%
  • TikTok: ~33%
  • LinkedIn: ~30%
  • WhatsApp: ~29%
  • Snapchat: ~27%
  • X (formerly Twitter): ~22%
  • Reddit: ~22%

Source: Pew Research Center: Social Media Use.

Behavioral trends (engagement patterns / platform preferences)

  • Video-first consumption is dominant: YouTube’s leading reach in Pew’s U.S. data aligns with high engagement in short- and long-form video; TikTok and Instagram Reels contribute to short-form discovery behavior. Source: Pew platform usage levels.
  • Age-driven platform clustering:
    • Younger adults (18–29) over-index on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Reddit relative to older groups.
    • Older adults (50+) over-index on Facebook and use YouTube broadly. Source: Pew demographic breakouts by platform.
  • Messaging and community ties matter in mixed rural–small city areas: Nationally, WhatsApp and Facebook are commonly used for group coordination and community information; local community pages and groups are a frequent pattern on Facebook in non-metro areas (Pew shows Facebook remains one of the most-used platforms overall). Source: Pew overall platform prevalence.
  • Engagement tends to be “lighter” with age: Pew research consistently finds younger users report higher frequency of daily use across multiple platforms, while older users concentrate activity on fewer platforms (most commonly Facebook and YouTube). Source: Pew frequency and platform use summaries.

Family & Associates Records

Grant County family-related public records are primarily maintained through Washington State’s vital records system and county courts. Birth and death certificates are recorded by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Center for Health Statistics, with certified copies issued through DOH and authorized providers. Grant County Superior Court maintains court records that can include family law matters (divorce, parentage, guardianship) and some adoption case files, subject to statutory confidentiality.

Public database access for case information is available through the Washington Courts online portal (Washington Courts – Odyssey Portal), which provides docket-level access for many county courts. Grant County also publishes local court and clerk access information through the Grant County Superior Court and the Grant County Clerk of the Superior Court.

In-person access to court records is generally available at the Clerk’s office during business hours. Vital records access is handled through DOH’s ordering services (Washington DOH Vital Records) rather than county recording offices.

Privacy restrictions apply: noncertified birth and death records are not public, and certified copies are limited to eligible requesters under state law. Adoption records are typically sealed, with access governed by court order and state confidentiality rules.

Marriage & Divorce Records

Types of records available

  • Marriage licenses (and marriage certificates/returns): Licenses are issued by the Grant County Auditor. After the ceremony, the officiant files the completed certificate/return with the same office, creating the county marriage record.
  • Divorce records (dissolutions of marriage): Divorce case files are maintained by the Grant County Superior Court. The court issues final orders and judgments (commonly referred to as “divorce decrees”).
  • Annulments (declarations of invalidity): Annulment actions are handled as Superior Court civil/family law matters; final orders are maintained in the Superior Court case file.

Where records are filed and how they can be accessed

  • Marriage records

    • Filed/kept by: Grant County Auditor (for licenses and recorded marriage certificates/returns).
    • Access methods: Requests are typically handled through the Auditor’s recording/vital records services (in-person, mail, or other county-established request methods). Copies are commonly provided as certified or informational copies depending on request type and eligibility.
    • State-level copy: Washington State maintains marriage data through the Washington State Department of Health (DOH), Center for Health Statistics, which provides certified copies under state rules.
      Link: Washington State DOH Vital Records

  • Divorce and annulment records

    • Filed/kept by: Grant County Superior Court (case file maintained by the Superior Court Clerk).
    • Access methods: Many case docket entries and certain documents are accessible through the Washington courts’ online case information systems; copies of specific documents are obtained from the Superior Court Clerk, subject to any sealing/redaction rules.
    • State-level divorce certificate: Washington DOH can issue a “divorce certificate” (a vital record index-style document) for eligible requesters; the complete decree/order remains a court record. Link: Washington State DOH Vital Records

Typical information included in these records

  • Marriage license / recorded marriage certificate

    • Full legal names of both parties (and prior names as applicable on the application)
    • Date and place of marriage (city/county/state)
    • Date the license was issued and the license number
    • Officiant name/title and signature; signatures of parties and witnesses as required by form
    • Ages/birthdates and addresses may appear on the application; the publicly recorded portion varies by form and era

  • Divorce decree / dissolution orders (Superior Court)

    • Case number; court; filing and judgment dates
    • Names of the parties and type of action (dissolution/legal separation)
    • Findings and final orders regarding dissolution status
    • Orders addressing parenting plan/child custody and decision-making (when applicable)
    • Child support and spousal maintenance (when applicable)
    • Division of property and debts
    • Name change orders (when requested and granted)

  • Annulment (declaration of invalidity) orders

    • Case number; court; filing and judgment dates
    • Names of the parties and declaration that the marriage is invalid under Washington law
    • Related orders addressing children, support, and property/debt allocation as applicable

Privacy or legal restrictions

  • Marriage records

    • Washington marriage certificates are generally treated as public records, but access to certified copies and certain formats is controlled by Washington vital records law and administrative rules. County and state offices may limit who can obtain certified copies, require identity verification, and redact specific data elements in some contexts.

  • Divorce and annulment records

    • Superior Court case files are generally public, but courts restrict access to sealed records and to information protected by court rule or statute.
    • Washington’s confidentiality protections commonly affect:
      • Sealed financial source documents and confidential information forms
      • Protected personal identifiers (e.g., Social Security numbers, full financial account numbers)
      • Records sealed for safety, privacy, or other legally recognized grounds
    • Online access may display limited document sets; some documents are available only at the courthouse or by formal records request, and sealed/redacted items are excluded from public access.

  • Governing law and rules (Washington)

    • Public access to court records and redaction requirements are governed by Washington court rules and statutes, including the General Rules (GR) on access and privacy (notably rules addressing public access and redaction of personal identifiers).
      Link: Washington Courts – Court Rules (GR series)

Education, Employment and Housing

Grant County is in central Washington on the Columbia Basin, anchored by Moses Lake and Ephrata, with a largely rural-to-small-city settlement pattern shaped by irrigated agriculture, food processing, logistics, and energy assets. The county’s population is comparatively young and more working‑class than Washington overall, with many households tied to seasonal and production-oriented work and with a sizable share of residents speaking Spanish at home; these characteristics are reflected in education attainment, commuting patterns, and housing mix.

Education Indicators

Public schools (counts and names)

Grant County’s public K–12 system is delivered through multiple school districts that together operate dozens of schools (elementary, middle, and high schools). A consolidated, official school‑by‑school list is maintained in the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) directory; district and school names are available via OSPI’s public lookup tools, including district profiles and “school directory” exports. See the Washington OSPI website and OSPI’s Education Directory (EDS) for the most current school roster and names.

Commonly referenced districts serving the county include:

  • Moses Lake School District
  • Ephrata School District
  • Quincy School District
  • Warden School District
  • Soap Lake School District
  • Royal School District
  • Wahluke School District
  • Wilson Creek School District
  • Coulee‑Hartline School District
  • Lake Roosevelt (serves parts of northeast Grant County area; boundaries vary by enrollment area)

Note: District boundaries and “serves-part-of-county” patterns vary; OSPI directory listings provide authoritative coverage and current school names.

Student–teacher ratios and graduation rates

  • Student–teacher ratios: Public school student–teacher ratios are tracked at the district level by OSPI and commonly range from the high‑teens to mid‑20s in central Washington districts, varying by grade span, staffing, and enrollment. District-specific ratios for Grant County districts are available in OSPI district report cards and staffing summaries (OSPI is the authoritative source).
  • Graduation rates: Washington reports four‑year cohort graduation rates annually by district and school. Grant County districts generally show variation by community, with rates often below the statewide average in districts with higher poverty and larger multilingual learner populations, and closer to statewide levels in others. The most recent district and school graduation rates are available through OSPI graduation and dropout statistics.

Because Grant County contains multiple districts with distinct performance profiles, a single countywide student–teacher ratio or graduation rate is not published as a primary headline measure; OSPI district and school report cards are the standard proxy for “most recent available” local values.

Adult education levels (HS diploma; bachelor’s and higher)

Adult educational attainment is available from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) for Grant County:

  • High school graduate or higher (age 25+): The county is below Washington statewide levels, reflecting a workforce weighted toward production and agriculture-related jobs.
  • Bachelor’s degree or higher (age 25+): The county is substantially below Washington statewide levels (Washington’s statewide bachelor’s-or-higher share is among the highest in the U.S., driven by Puget Sound’s tech economy).

The most recent county estimates can be obtained directly from the Census Bureau’s data.census.gov (ACS 5‑year tables such as educational attainment for age 25+).

Notable programs (STEM, vocational training, AP)

  • Career and Technical Education (CTE)/vocational pathways: Grant County districts commonly emphasize CTE aligned to local employment (agriculture/agribusiness, skilled trades, manufacturing, health pathways, and business/marketing). Washington funds and reports CTE participation through OSPI program reporting and district course catalogs.
  • Dual credit and college-in-high-school: Washington districts widely use Running Start, College in the High School, and CTE dual credit. Running Start is administered statewide via Washington’s community and technical college system and is commonly used in central Washington; see the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges Running Start overview.
  • Advanced Placement (AP): High schools in larger districts typically offer AP coursework; availability varies by school size and staffing. School‑level course offerings are best verified through each district’s secondary course catalog or OSPI school profiles.
  • STEM: STEM offerings are commonly delivered through course sequences in math/science, CTE engineering/manufacturing tracks, and extracurriculars; the most consistent countywide STEM asset is postsecondary capacity at Big Bend Community College (serving the Moses Lake area) and regional workforce training pipelines, though program lists vary year to year.

Safety measures and counseling resources

Public schools in Washington operate under state requirements and district policies that typically include:

  • Emergency preparedness (lockdown/evacuation drills, coordination with local law enforcement and emergency management)
  • Threat assessment and reporting processes
  • Student support services such as school counselors, psychologists, and social workers, with staffing levels varying by district size and funding

District-specific safety plans, discipline policies, and counseling staff ratios are generally published on district websites and in OSPI reporting where applicable. Washington’s statewide school safety resources and requirements are summarized through OSPI’s School Safety Center.

Employment and Economic Conditions

Unemployment rate (most recent year available)

Grant County unemployment is reported monthly and annually by the Washington State Employment Security Department (ESD) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics. The county typically experiences higher unemployment than Washington overall, with seasonal variation tied to agriculture and food processing cycles. The most recent annual average and current monthly rate are available via Washington ESD Labor Market Information and BLS LAUS tables (county series).

(County unemployment changes meaningfully year to year; the authoritative “most recent” figure is the latest ESD annual average or the latest released monthly estimate.)

Major industries and employment sectors

Employment in Grant County is concentrated in:

  • Agriculture and agribusiness (crop production supported by Columbia Basin irrigation; food packing and processing)
  • Manufacturing and food processing (including cold storage and related logistics)
  • Transportation and warehousing (regional freight movement)
  • Retail trade and accommodation/food services (local-serving)
  • Health care and social assistance (local-serving, growing in many counties)
  • Public administration and education (county, city, schools)
  • Energy and utilities (hydropower context in the region; local presence varies by employer and facility)

Industry employment shares and leading employers are summarized in ESD county profiles and the Census Bureau’s County Business Patterns. ESD’s county dashboards are the most direct Washington-specific reference.

Common occupations and workforce breakdown

The occupational structure typically reflects the industry mix:

  • Production occupations (food processing, manufacturing)
  • Transportation and material moving (warehousing, trucking)
  • Farming, fishing, and forestry (seasonal and year‑round roles)
  • Office/administrative support and sales (local-serving)
  • Healthcare practitioners and support
  • Construction and maintenance (housing and infrastructure support)

For occupation distributions, the most consistent public sources are ACS occupation tables on data.census.gov and ESD occupational employment summaries.

Commuting patterns and mean commute times

  • Typical pattern: Commuting is dominated by car travel given rural geography, with a mix of in‑town commutes (Moses Lake/Ephrata/Quincy) and longer drives between smaller towns and employment centers, including agricultural and processing sites outside city cores.
  • Mean travel time to work: Grant County’s mean commute time is commonly in the low‑to‑mid‑20 minutes range, consistent with many rural/interior Washington counties (ACS-based). The current estimate is available from ACS “travel time to work” tables on data.census.gov.
  • Out‑of‑county commuting: A notable share of residents work within the county, but out‑commuting occurs to nearby regional job centers (including along the I‑90 corridor and to other Columbia Basin counties). The best “local employment versus out‑of‑county work” proxy is the Census LEHD/OnTheMap dataset, which reports inflow/outflow and where residents work. See Census OnTheMap.

Housing and Real Estate

Homeownership rate and rental share

Grant County’s housing tenure reflects a mix of owner‑occupied single‑family homes in city neighborhoods and rural properties, plus a meaningful rental market in Moses Lake and other towns for agricultural, service, and logistics workers. The county’s homeownership rate is generally around the mid‑60% range (ACS-based), with the remainder renter‑occupied; the most recent figures are in ACS housing tenure tables on data.census.gov.

Median property values and recent trends

  • Median home value: The county’s median owner‑occupied home value is below the Washington statewide median (ACS).
  • Trend: Values rose markedly during 2020–2022 across Washington, followed by slower growth and more price sensitivity as mortgage rates increased (2023–2025 period). Grant County generally tracked this pattern but remained more affordable than Puget Sound metros.
    For official median value estimates, ACS provides a consistent time series; for market-trend context (sales prices, inventory), county-level summaries are commonly reported by regional MLS organizations and research groups, but ACS remains the most comparable “most recent” government source.

Typical rent prices

ACS “gross rent” estimates indicate typical rents below the statewide median but elevated relative to pre‑2020 levels. Rent levels vary most in Moses Lake (largest rental inventory) versus smaller towns and rural areas. The current county median gross rent is available via ACS tables on data.census.gov.

Types of housing

  • Single‑family detached homes: Predominant in most neighborhoods and smaller towns.
  • Manufactured homes and rural lots: Common in unincorporated areas and on larger parcels.
  • Apartments and multifamily: Concentrated in Moses Lake and some town centers; also present near major employers and along key corridors.
  • Farmworker and seasonal housing: Present in parts of the Columbia Basin; inventories and conditions vary and are typically captured through local planning documents and state program reporting rather than a single countywide metric.

Neighborhood characteristics (proximity to schools/amenities)

  • Moses Lake and Ephrata: More neighborhood-scale access to schools, parks, medical services, and retail; newer subdivisions often sit farther from historic town cores but still within short driving distances.
  • Quincy/Royal City/Warden/Soap Lake and smaller communities: компакт town footprints with schools and civic amenities relatively close to residential areas; rural housing outside city limits generally requires driving for services and schooling.

Property tax overview (rate and typical homeowner cost)

Washington property tax is based on assessed value and overlapping levy rates (county, city, school, and special districts). Grant County effective property tax rates are typically around ~1% of assessed value (rate varies by taxing district and year). Typical annual tax bills vary widely by assessed value and levy area; the most authoritative, current levy rates and assessed values are maintained by the Grant County Assessor and Treasurer, with statewide context from the Washington Department of Revenue. See the Washington Department of Revenue property tax overview for how levies are set and how rates are expressed.

Data note: The most current county-specific numeric values for graduation rates, student–teacher ratios, unemployment, median home value, and median rent are published in continuously updated government datasets (OSPI, ESD/BLS, ACS). Where a single countywide headline is not published (notably for school metrics across multiple districts), district-level OSPI report cards and directories are the standard, authoritative proxy.

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Other Counties in Washington