# Bucoda, Washington

Bucoda (/bjuːˈkoʊdə/) is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 600 at the 2020 census. The community refers to itself as the "World's Tiniest Town with the Biggest Halloween Spirit".

## Etymology

The community was first known as Seatco, an indigenous word meaning evil spirit or devil; the town name became official in 1887 when the community was platted by an early founder, Oliver Shead (Shed). People in the town voiced a dislike of the name and the community was renamed Bucoda in 1890 by act of the state legislature. An accepted theory of the origination of the moniker of Bucoda comes from the taking of the first two letters of the last name of three prominent members of the early town, William Buckley (Buckner), a man recorded with the last name of Coulter, and J.E. Davis (David).

## History

The first American settler at what is now Bucoda was Aaron Webster (1828–1911) who arrived in 1854. In the 1860s Webster sold his claim and sawmill to Oliver Shead. The Northern Pacific Railroad located a station at Seatco in 1872. A major flood affecting communities in the Skookumchuck and Chehalis river watersheds occurred in December 1887; two Chehalis residents lost their lives while near the town.
In the 1880s, investors began operations to mine coal in the area, but the coal was of poor quality and operations were sporadic. Beginning in 1874 or 1878, Bucoda was the site of Washington's first territorial prison. A wooden, three-story structure, the jail garnered a reputation as a harsh institution as the inmates, some shackled for years, were used for dangerous and brutal manual labor in local industry. The prison was supposed to close in 1888 but was last used for inmates in 1890 and officially discontinued when the state opened the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla, Washington.
Bucoda was officially incorporated on June 7, 1910 and the first mayor was Emil Krupp. The town had a water tower that was scrapped in the early 1980s. The Mutual Lumber Mill was so productive the town was once billed as the "Town with the Million Dollar Payroll". The mill burned down and was rebuilt only to have demand wane and once again it was consumed by flames.
A federal bill signed in January 2025 authorized the renaming of the town's post office to the Mayor Rob Gordon Post Office. Gordon, who died of cancer the prior summer, had long been a resident and public servant in Bucoda, working in the fire department and on the town council.

## Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.59 square miles (1.53 km$^2$), of which, 0.57 square miles (1.48 km$^2$) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km$^2$) is water.

## Demographics
### 2010 census

As of the 2010 census, there were 562 people, 222 households, and 148 families living in the town. The population density was 986.0 inhabitants per square mile (380.7/km$^2$). There were 243 housing units at an average density of 426.3 per square mile (164.6/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the town was 91.6% White, 1.2% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.8% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.7% of the population.
There were 222 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 22.5% 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 2.53 and the average family size was 2.92.
The median age in the town was 40.3 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 31.1% were from 45 to 64; and 12.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

### 2000 census

As of the 2000 census, there were 628 people, 219 households, and 169 families living in the town. The population density was 1,419.7 people per square mile (551.1/km$^2$). There were 236 housing units at an average density of 533.5 per square mile (207.1/km$^2$). The racial makeup of the town was 92.04% White, 0.80% Native American, 2.23% Asian, 0.32% Pacific Islander, 1.27% from other races, and 3.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.07% of the population.
There were 219 households, out of which 37.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.6% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 13.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 29.8% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 117.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,286, and the median income for a family was $32,708. Males had a median income of $36,071 versus $22,321 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,613. About 18.5% of families and 25.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 41.2% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

## Arts and culture

Since 2009, the community has annually become known as "Boo-coda" every October, a moniker to represent its annual month-long Halloween festivities. The event is known for its Scary Nights Haunted House and hearse processions.

## Parks and recreation

The South Sound Speedway, a Figure 8 racetrack, is northwest of the downtown area.

## Media

Bucoda, Washington is the setting of episode 97 "We All Ignore the Pit" of the horror podcast The Magnus Archives. A small scene for the independent movie, The Mountain, with Jeff Goldblum, was filmed at a restaurant in the town.

## Infrastructure

Bucoda is served by ruralTRANSIT, a free bus service provided by the Thurston Regional Planning Council. The transportation system into South Thurston County has been in place since the mid-2000s and provides access to other transit operations, including Intercity Transit and Lewis County Transit.