Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment: is Washington a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best places to live in Washington.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Evergreen State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been helping people find the best places to live in America for years.
So, the question becomes, if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Washington, where would you go? To answer that we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 39 counties in the state.
After the analytic dust settled, we identified the 10 best counties to live in Evergreen State for 2022.
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Washington For 2022
Island County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Washington. And you might want to avoid Ferry County if you can — at least according to the data.
So if you’re thinking of making the move Washington, we’ve got you covered. Keep on reading for a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Washington and the cheapest places to live in Washington.
The Best Counties To Live In Washington For 2022
1. Island County
Biggest Place: Oak Harbor
Population: 84,187
Median Income: $70,765.0 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $382,900.0 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.8% (24th best)
More on Island County: Photos | Data
2. Kitsap County
Biggest Place: Bremerton
Population: 268,945
Median Income: $78,969.0 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $362,700.0 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (8th best)
More on Kitsap County: Photos | Data
3. Snohomish County
Biggest Place: Everett
Population: 811,572
Median Income: $89,273.0 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $440,100.0 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.1% (5th best)
More on Snohomish County: Photos | Data
4. San Juan County
Biggest Place: Friday Harbor
Population: 16,953
Median Income: $64,753.0 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $535,200.0 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.1% (2nd best)
More on San Juan County: Photos | Data
5. King County
Biggest Place: Seattle
Population: 2,225,064
Median Income: $99,158.0 (best)
Median Home Price: $601,100.0 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (7th best)
More on King County: Photos | Data
6. Clark County
Biggest Place: Vancouver
Population: 481,950
Median Income: $77,184.0 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $355,000.0 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (11th best)
More on Clark County: Photos | Data
7. Thurston County
Biggest Place: Olympia
Population: 284,698
Median Income: $75,867.0 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $315,600.0 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.1% (26th best)
More on Thurston County: Photos | Data
8. Skamania County
Biggest Place: Carson
Population: 11,906
Median Income: $69,296.0 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $335,600.0 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.8% (23rd best)
More on Skamania County: Data
9. Pierce County
Biggest Place: Tacoma
Population: 891,862
Median Income: $76,438.0 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $336,600.0 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (9th best)
More on Pierce County: Photos | Data
10. Skagit County
Biggest Place: Mount Vernon
Population: 127,442
Median Income: $71,021.0 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $341,600.0 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.1% (10th best)
More on Skagit County: Photos | Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Washington county is the best?
To give you the best county in Washington, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we need to make some assumptions about what’s a “best county” and what isn’t. And, for reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, don’t take this analysis to court.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best sources of data on the internet; the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent time period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Washington across each of the criteria from one to 39, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Washington”.
The result is some of the safest, quiet, and best counties to raise a family in the Evergreen State.
Read on to see why Island County is the best county, while Ferry County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Washington.
Summary: The Best Counties In Washington To Call Home For 2018
It turns out living in Washington can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
But now you the know the really good parts and the parts to avoid and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day. And for that, you are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Washington according to the data:
- Ferry County
- Yakima County
- Adams County
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Safest Places In Washington
- Best Places To Buy A House In Washington
- Richest Cities In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Washington
County | Rank |
---|---|
Island County | 1 |
Kitsap County | 2 |
Snohomish County | 3 |
San Juan County | 4 |
King County | 5 |
Clark County | 6 |
Thurston County | 7 |
Skamania County | 8 |
Pierce County | 9 |
Skagit County | 10 |
Wahkiakum County | 11 |
Jefferson County | 12 |
Douglas County | 13 |
Chelan County | 14 |
Benton County | 15 |
Lincoln County | 16 |
Whatcom County | 17 |
Kittitas County | 18 |
Columbia County | 19 |
Whitman County | 20 |
Pend Oreille County | 21 |
Spokane County | 22 |
Stevens County | 23 |
Walla Walla County | 24 |
Garfield County | 25 |
Klickitat County | 26 |
Pacific County | 27 |
Cowlitz County | 28 |
Mason County | 29 |
Franklin County | 30 |
Clallam County | 31 |
Asotin County | 32 |
Lewis County | 33 |
Grays Harbor County | 34 |
Okanogan County | 35 |
Grant County | 36 |
Adams County | 37 |
Yakima County | 38 |
Ferry County | 39 |