What it's like to live in Longview
Longview is a small city in Washington with rent below the national average and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Longview deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Longview compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Longview
Based on Longview's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,274
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $45,480 a year
- 53% of Longview renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$72,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,160
- Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 20% below US
$1,137/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,137 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $361,600. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $361,600 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 23% above US
5.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
302 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2789/100k · Longview Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 78°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 53% below US
17% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
17 public schools inside the boundary
There are 17 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (39 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Longview's strongest point is rent below the national average; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,137/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Longview
All Washington guides →Moving to Ridgefield →
26 mi away · pop. 13,408
Rent $2,335/mo · Income $116,389
Compare with Longview →Moving to Mount Vista →
32 mi away · pop. 10,764
Rent $2,041/mo · Income $100,293
Compare with Longview →Not sure Longview is the one?
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