Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, founded in 1882. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. Buckley lies on the White River below Mount Rainier and is known for hosting an annual festival named the Log Show.
Buckley is located on the south side of the White River near the communities of Enumclaw, Bonney Lake, and Wilkeson. The White River forms the border between King and Pierce counties.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water.
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Buckley has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.
As of the 2020 census, Buckley had a population of 5,114. The median age was 37.8 years, 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.4% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.5 males age 18 and over. The 2020 census reported that 92.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 7.8% lived in rural areas.
There were 1,851 households in Buckley, of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 51.6% were married-couple households, 15.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 1,956 housing units, of which 5.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%.
As of the 2010 census, there were 4,354 people, 1,591 households, and 1,049 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 1,669 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.0% White, 0.6% African American, 0.8% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.2% from other races, and 3.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.1% of the population.
There were 1,591 households, of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.1% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.
The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 22.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 30% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.
As of the 2000 census, there were 4,145 people, 1,396 households, and 995 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,072.7 people per square mile (414.6/km<sup>2</sup>). There were 1,472 housing units at an average density of 380.9 per square mile (147.2/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the city was 93.78% White, 0.63% African American, 1.13% Native American, 0.77% Asian, 0.17% Pacific Islander, 0.55% from other races, and 2.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.81% of the population.
There were 1,396 households, out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 32.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $49,453, and the median income for a family was $54,900. Males had a median income of $43,409 versus $29,688 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,744. About 3.6% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those age 65 or over.
Buckley is bisected by State Route 410, a major highway that crosses the Cascades at Chinook Pass and connects the Tacoma area to Yakima. It intersects State Route 165, a highway serving the Carbon River valley, south of town. The Foothills Trail, a non-motorized trail, travels through Buckley and connects the community to Puyallup and Enumclaw. A bridge over the White River for the trail opened in 2024 and became the sole means of access between Buckley and Enumclaw after the bridge carrying State Route 410 was damaged and closed to traffic in August 2025.
The nearest general hospital is St. Elizabeth Hospital in Enumclaw.