08-15-2025 - Appraisal- 925 Industrial Way Ellensburg WA 98926

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REGIONAL ANALYSIS (Cont.) Population Summary Historical population growth for the state has had small but continual increases in population growth. The City of Ellensburg has had some minor dips in growth during the mid-1990's but recovered in successive years. During the 1990's the City and County began a growth period coming out of the recession and has continued steadily since, except for one small dip in growth in 1998. A significant contribution to this growth in the late 1990's through 2021 can be attributed to the increasing popularity of the area from the Seattle Metropolitan Area west of the Cascade Mountains. Kittitas County and especially the western part of the county is 1-11/2 hours commuting distance from the west side of the mountains. Interviews with many of these commuters revealed that although the distance to places of employment are much greater, the commuting time is similar. The indications are that, given the same commuting time, the drive across the mountains on a non-congested four lane divided freeway is much preferable to the slow congested commute of the metropolitan area. Because of this phenomenon, the property values, especially in the western part of Kittitas County, have dramatically increased because of the influence from the west side of the Cascade Mountains. Climate The climate of Ellensburg is mild and dry, having the characteristics of both maritime and continental climates modified by the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. The summers are dry and hot and winters are cool with only light snowfall. Usually, the summer afternoons are very hot, but with the dry air there is a rapid decrease in temperatures after sunset. The summers in Ellensburg are sunny with approximately 85 percent possible sunshine. Ellensburg has a semi- arid climate which has most of the precipitation blocked by the Cascade Mountain range to the west. As a result, the total precipitation is small. The average annual precipitation is 8.84 inches. The average number of days with .01 inches or more of rainfall is 37. The majority of the precipitation occurs during the months of November, December, and January with approximately one inch per month. This is approximately half the average annual rainfall. It is not uncommon for the months of July and August to receive no rainfall. The winters are mostly cloudy with only 32 percent of the possible sunshine being received. The snowfall is generally light with 20-25 inches per year. 11 DAVIS APPRAISAL COMPANY