Camas vs Ridgefield

Which is the better fit for you?

Camas, WA
65
Area Score
Top 28% nationally
Ridgefield, WA
64
Area Score
Top 31% nationally

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Camas receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Camas to Ridgefield

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 106.7 against 106.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,922 in Ridgefield against $1,922 in Camas.
The median home
14% less
$613,500 in Ridgefield against $711,700 in Camas.
The weather you would swap
Winters 3°F colder
Normal January lows are 34°F in Ridgefield against 37°F in Camas; July highs are 81°F against 82°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Camas
Ridgefield
Opportunity: Camas is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
61 · Top 40%
vs
60 · Top 42%
Growth: Ridgefield is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
50 · Top 50%
vs
61 · Top 28%
Climate: Camas is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
78 · Top 22%
vs
73 · Top 37%
Physical resilience
65 · Top 43%
vs
65 · Top 43%
Housing affordability: Camas is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 32%
vs
49 · Bottom 19%
Schools: Camas is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
73 · Top 21%
vs
71 · Top 23%
Access: Camas is the more favorable of the two.
Access
90 · Bottom 42%
vs
87 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability: Ridgefield is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
67 · Top 31%
vs
70 · Top 25%

Measured values

MetricCamasRidgefieldSource period
Population27,00713,4082024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$141,126 — more favorable$116,3892024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$63,719 ±$4,365$57,136 ±$10,6112024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,904/sq mi1,776/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$711,700$613,5002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$2,090 ±$214$2,335 ±$2382024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,922$1,922FY2026
Cost of living index106.7106.72023
Homeownership rate78.3%82.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.0%3.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.2%−1.2%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher54.8% — more favorable38.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate4.9% ±2%4.4% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)14325312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents5.318.9 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−51.9%−50.0%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high82°F81°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low37°F34°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation40.7"42.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport8 mi — more favorable16 miNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate26.0 min ±1.5 min25.2 min ±2.5 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age40.735.72024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools1662024-25 school year
Students per teacher19.818.9 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency63.3%63.5% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency78.8% — more favorable74.0%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility22.1%27.2%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Camas

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Ridgefield

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Camas
—
Camas: Your Score
65
Area Score
Ridgefield
—
Ridgefield: Your Score
64
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Camas, WA · Ridgefield, WA · How this is calculated: methodology