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 counties 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 using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Washington For 2026
Island County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Washington. And you should avoid Yakima County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Washington. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Washington and the cheapest places to live in Washington.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Washington For 2026
1. Island County
Biggest Place: Oak Harbor
Population: 86,836
Median Income: $90,551 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $636,280 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.3% (7th best)
More on Island County: Data
2. King County
Biggest Place: Seattle
Population: 2,287,171
Median Income: $124,746 (best)
Median Home Price: $871,202 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (12th best)
More on King County: Data
3. Kitsap County
Biggest Place: Bremerton
Population: 277,881
Median Income: $104,158 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $581,185 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (10th best)
More on Kitsap County: Data
4. Snohomish County
Biggest Place: Everett
Population: 844,430
Median Income: $111,246 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $762,456 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (8th best)
More on Snohomish County: Data
5. San Juan County
Biggest Place: Friday Harbor
Population: 18,478
Median Income: $84,800 (12th best)
Median Home Price: $875,338 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (3rd best)
More on San Juan County: Data
6. Thurston County
Biggest Place: Lacey
Population: 299,067
Median Income: $96,563 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $529,711 (13th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (16th best)
More on Thurston County: Data
7. Pierce County
Biggest Place: Tacoma
Population: 930,319
Median Income: $99,564 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $569,200 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (17th best)
More on Pierce County: Data
8. Skamania County
Biggest Place: Carson
Population: 12,402
Median Income: $93,265 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $558,352 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (19th best)
More on Skamania County: Data
9. Jefferson County
Biggest Place: Port Townsend
Population: 33,577
Median Income: $74,048 (2best)
Median Home Price: $594,864 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 6.6% (34th best)
More on Jefferson County: Data
10. Whatcom County
Biggest Place: Bellingham
Population: 230,503
Median Income: $81,784 (15th best)
Median Home Price: $615,921 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.8% (11th best)
More on Whatcom County: 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 made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent 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, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Evergreen State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the best counties to live in Washington.
Read on to see why Island County is the best county, while Yakima County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Washington.
Summary: The Best Counties In Washington To Call Home For 2026
Living in Washington can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Washington are Island County, King County, Kitsap County, Snohomish County, San Juan County, Thurston County, Pierce County, Skamania County, Jefferson County, and Whatcom County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Washington according to the data:
- Yakima County
- Grays Harbor County
- Grant County
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Best Places To Buy A House In Washington
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Washington
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Island County | 86,836 | $90,551 | $636,280 |
| 2 | King County | 2,287,171 | $124,746 | $871,202 |
| 3 | Kitsap County | 277,881 | $104,158 | $581,185 |
| 4 | Snohomish County | 844,430 | $111,246 | $762,456 |
| 5 | San Juan County | 18,478 | $84,800 | $875,338 |
| 6 | Thurston County | 299,067 | $96,563 | $529,711 |
| 7 | Pierce County | 930,319 | $99,564 | $569,200 |
| 8 | Skamania County | 12,402 | $93,265 | $558,352 |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 33,577 | $74,048 | $594,864 |
| 10 | Whatcom County | 230,503 | $81,784 | $615,921 |
| 11 | Clark County | 516,959 | $97,536 | $550,944 |
| 12 | Skagit County | 131,328 | $89,263 | $581,878 |
| 13 | Spokane County | 549,056 | $78,582 | $421,160 |
| 14 | Chelan County | 80,172 | $82,381 | $532,389 |
| 15 | Wahkiakum County | 4,658 | $62,653 | $394,449 |
| 16 | Douglas County | 44,366 | $80,363 | $490,676 |
| 17 | Clallam County | 77,813 | $70,370 | $491,325 |
| 18 | Kittitas County | 47,172 | $73,804 | $491,430 |
| 19 | Benton County | 212,905 | $89,874 | $448,373 |
| 20 | Pacific County | 23,994 | $67,081 | $333,082 |
| 21 | Lewis County | 85,154 | $74,796 | $432,807 |
| 22 | Stevens County | 48,067 | $69,327 | $366,840 |
| 23 | Garfield County | 2,353 | $64,884 | $242,093 |
| 24 | Asotin County | 22,467 | $72,283 | $342,121 |
| 25 | Cowlitz County | 112,360 | $76,531 | $416,972 |
| 26 | Columbia County | 4,014 | $71,810 | $263,241 |
| 27 | Mason County | 67,982 | $83,270 | $449,928 |
| 28 | Lincoln County | 11,489 | $71,512 | $317,802 |
| 29 | Klickitat County | 23,411 | $71,042 | $462,970 |
| 30 | Pend Oreille County | 14,050 | $67,436 | $366,563 |
| 31 | Walla Walla County | 62,161 | $74,202 | $413,299 |
| 32 | Whitman County | 47,003 | $55,406 | $320,723 |
| 33 | Franklin County | 98,902 | $86,714 | $418,167 |
| 34 | Ferry County | 7,387 | $55,614 | $289,885 |
| 35 | Adams County | 20,800 | $66,136 | $309,432 |
| 36 | Okanogan County | 43,425 | $63,207 | $312,252 |
| 37 | Grant County | 101,799 | $73,267 | $359,153 |
| 38 | Grays Harbor County | 77,053 | $64,414 | $318,140 |
| 39 | Yakima County | 257,152 | $70,656 | $350,639 |