Moses Lake vs Royal City
Moses Lake, Washington versus Royal City, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Royal City edges out Moses Lake on overall objective livability (55 vs 48 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Moses Lake | Royal City |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $66k | $46k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $47k |
| Home Value | $245k | — |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $703 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $5k | $261 |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.00% | — |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.79% | — |
| Unemployment | 5.1% | 9.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 30°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 7.8 in | 8.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 13.9 in | 9.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 317 days | 317 days |
| Summer Humidity | 45°F | 45°F |
| Comfortable Days | 66 days | 73 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 33.3 | 41.6 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 40 AQI |
| School Quality | 85.0 | 86.5 |
| Violent Crime | 1801/100k | 1231/100k |
| Property Crime | 5477/100k | 3333/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 25,155 | 2,060 |
| Median Age | 31.1 | 24.6 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.59 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.91 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | R+35 | R+35 |
| White (%) | 51.0% | 6.1% |
| Black (%) | 3.2% | 0.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 39.2% | 93.9% |
| Asian (%) | 0.9% | 0.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.7% | 0.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 19 min | — |
| Walkability | 5.2/20 | 6.6/20 |
| Airport Distance | 88 mi | 109 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.8% | 95.0% |
| Amenities Nearby | 27.83 | 58.25 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Moses Lake or Royal City more affordable?
- Royal City has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Moses Lake's $47k and Royal City's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Moses Lake versus $703 in Royal City.
- Is Moses Lake or Royal City safer?
- Royal City has the lower violent crime rate. Moses Lake reports 1801/100k and Royal City reports 1231/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).