Washington is great for many reasons, especially for people looking to retire in the Northwest.
And the secret is out.
Washington’s population of 65 and older residents is currently at 12%, which experts expect to increase dramatically.
We’ve taken the guessing out of the equation and created a list of the best places to retire in Washington for 2026.
First, we looked at the latest FBI and Census data for 89 cities with 10,000 residents. Once we identified these cities, we compared important factors like safety, affordability, rent, and how close a place is to an international airport.
The state as a whole is pretty safe, and there’s a ton of great stuff to do. If you love hiking, there’s Colville National Forest just north of Spokane. And if you love fresh fish, check out Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Washington For 2026
What’s the best place to retire in Washington? According to the latest FBI and Census data, the best place to retire in Washington is Port Townsend.
Many places in Washington get close to 40 inches of rain a year. So, what do 7.5 million residents and 825,000 retirees find so appealing about this corner of the country? The people here are very nice, and every place in the state is postcard-worthy.
Why did Port Townsend take the top spot? And where are Seattle and Spokane?
For more Washington state reading:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Best Places To Retire In America
The 10 Best Places To Retire In Washington For 2026
/10
Population: 10,438
Median Income: $62,606
Median Home Price: $633,222
Median Rent: $1,578
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Port Townsend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 17,966
Median Income: $91,951
Median Home Price: $725,455
Median Rent: $1,702
Distance to Closest Airport: 21 miles
More on Anacortes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 27,007
Median Income: $141,126
Median Home Price: $751,542
Median Rent: $2,090
Distance to Closest Airport: 8 miles
More on Camas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 20,118
Median Income: $62,606
Median Home Price: $450,576
Median Rent: $1,170
Distance to Closest Airport: 29 miles
More on Port Angeles: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,684
Median Income: $66,751
Median Home Price: $384,871
Median Rent: $1,220
Distance to Closest Airport: 39 miles
More on Kelso: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 23,741
Median Income: $139,764
Median Home Price: $1,046,651
Median Rent: $1,949
Distance to Closest Airport: 15 miles
More on Kenmore: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 230,293
Median Income: $70,064
Median Home Price: $395,324
Median Rent: $1,215
Distance to Closest Airport: 5 miles
More on Spokane: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 17,490
Median Income: $106,368
Median Home Price: $640,871
Median Rent: $1,701
Distance to Closest Airport: 12 miles
More on Washougal: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 195,300
Median Income: $81,338
Median Home Price: $509,318
Median Rent: $1,702
Distance to Closest Airport: 3 miles
More on Vancouver: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
/10
Population: 12,804
Median Income: $54,503
Median Home Price: $420,133
Median Rent: $1,156
Distance to Closest Airport: 9 miles
More on Cheney: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Places To Retire In the Evergreen State for 2026
To create our ranking of the best places in Washington to retire, we used Saturday Night Science. We analyzed Census data to find all places in the Evergreen State — 617 cities and towns.
We then narrowed it down to places with at least 10,000 people that weren’t townships. This left us with 89 places from across the state.
For these 89, we looked at the following criteria taken from the Census, the FBI’s Crime Report, National Weather Service, and OpenFlights:
- Low cost of living as measured by rent
- Low crime
- Things to do (Museums, Colleges, and Libraries in town)
- Nice weather
- Distance to the closest international airport
- Other retirees (High median age)
We then ranked each of these places for each criterion from one to 89, with the lowest number being the best.
Finally, we took the average rank across these criteria. The place, in this case Port Townsend, with the lowest average rank, was crowned the best of the best, a place for you to start your second career.
The report has been updated for 2026. This list reflects our eleventh time ranking the best places to retire in Washington.
Summary: Maybe You’re Not Ready To Retire In Washington Yet…
So there you have it, the best place to retire in Washington goes to Port Townsend.
The best places to retire in Washington are Port Townsend, Anacortes, Camas, Port Angeles, Kelso, Kenmore, Spokane, Washougal, Vancouver, and Cheney.
If you’re not ready to hang up your office apparel yet, then these places might be up your alley:
- Fife
- Redmond
- Port Orchard
For more Washington reading, check out:
Best Places To Retire In Washington
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Townsend | 10,438 | $62,606 | $633,222 | $1,578 |
| 2 | Anacortes | 17,966 | $91,951 | $725,455 | $1,702 |
| 3 | Camas | 27,007 | $141,126 | $751,542 | $2,090 |
| 4 | Port Angeles | 20,118 | $62,606 | $450,576 | $1,170 |
| 5 | Kelso | 12,684 | $66,751 | $384,871 | $1,220 |
| 6 | Kenmore | 23,741 | $139,764 | $1,046,651 | $1,949 |
| 7 | Spokane | 230,293 | $70,064 | $395,324 | $1,215 |
| 8 | Washougal | 17,490 | $106,368 | $640,871 | $1,701 |
| 9 | Vancouver | 195,300 | $81,338 | $509,318 | $1,702 |
| 10 | Cheney | 12,804 | $54,503 | $420,133 | $1,156 |