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.
$1,578 median rent · $62,606 median income · #28 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Jefferson County, Washington
Port Townsend is a city in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 9,113 at the 2010 census, an increase of 9.3% over the 2000 census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition to its natural scenery at the northeast tip of the Olympic Peninsula, the city is also known for the many Victorian buildings remaining from its late 19th century heyday, numerous annual cultural events, and as a maritime center for independent boatbuilders and related industries and crafts. The Port Townsend Historic District is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,702 median rent · $91,951 median income · #38 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Skagit County, Washington
Anacortes is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name “Anacortes” is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman. Anacortes’ population was 15,778 at the time of the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$2,090 median rent · $141,126 median income · #70 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Clark County, Washington
Camas is a city in Clark County, Washington, with a population of 19,355 at the 2010 census. The east side of town borders the city of Washougal, Washington, and the west side of town borders Vancouver, Washington. Camas lies along the Washington side of the Columbia River, across from Troutdale, Oregon, and is part of the Portland metropolitan area.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,170 median rent · $62,606 median income · #9 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Clallam County, Washington
Port Angeles is a city in and the county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,038 as of the 2010 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 19,448 in 2015 by the Office of Financial Management.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,220 median rent · $66,751 median income · #12 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Cowlitz County, Washington
Kelso is a city in southwest Washington State, United States, and is the county seat of Cowlitz County. At the 2010 census, the population was 11,925. Kelso is part of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 102,410. Kelso shares its long western border with Longview. It is near Mount St. Helens.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,949 median rent · $139,764 median income · #60 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Kenmore is a city in King County, Washington, United States, along the northernmost shores of Lake Washington. A mix of bedroom community, one-time country retreat, and freshwater industrial port, prominent features include the nation’s largest seaplane-only, commercial air facility at Kenmore Air Harbor, Bastyr University, several waterside parks and marinas, and easy access to the Burke-Gilman Trail and the King County bike-trail system. Sites of local historical interest include the former St. Edward Seminary, now Saint Edward State Park; and Log Boom Park. Kenmore’s official city flower is the dahlia, the official city bird is the great blue heron, and the official city evergreen is the rhododendron. The population was 20,460 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,215 median rent · $70,064 median income · #10 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Spokane County, Washington
Spokane spoh-KAN) is a city located in the state of Washington in the northwestern United States. It is located along the Spokane River west of the Rocky Mountain foothills in eastern Washington, 92 miles south of the Canada-US border, approximately 20 miles from the Washington-Idaho border, and 280 miles east of Seattle along Interstate 90.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,701 median rent · $106,368 median income · #37 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Clark County, Washington
Washougal is a city in Clark County, Washington, United States. The population was 14,095 as of the 2010 Census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,702 median rent · $81,338 median income · #38 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Clark County, Washington
Vancouver is a city on the north bank of the Columbia River in the U.S. State of Washington, and the largest suburb of Portland, Oregon. Incorporated in 1857, it is the fourth largest city in the state, with a population of 161,791 as of April 1, 2010 census. Vancouver is the county seat of Clark County and forms part of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area, the 23rd largest metropolitan area in the United States. Originally established in 1825 around Fort Vancouver, a fur-trading outpost, the city is located on the Washington-Oregon border along the Columbia River, directly north of Portland. In 2005, Money magazine named it No. 91 on its list of best places in America to live. In 2016, WalletHub ranks Vancouver the 39th best place in the US for families to live.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$1,156 median rent · $54,503 median income · #8 cheapest rent in Washington
Located in
Spokane County, Washington
Cheney is a city in Spokane County, Washington, United States. The full-time resident population was 10,590 as of 2010 census. Eastern Washington University is located in Cheney, and its population grows to approximately 17,600 people on a temporary basis when classes at Eastern Washington University are in session.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Washington’s statewide median.
Washington statewide median: $98,141
Washington statewide median: $601,016
On the map
Where to retire in Washington
Saturday Night Science
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.
The full plate
Best Places To Retire In Washington
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Retire Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Median Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Port Townsend | 13.70 | 10,438 | $62,606 | $633,223 | $1,578 |
| 2 | Anacortes | 27.60 | 17,966 | $91,951 | $725,456 | $1,702 |
| 3 | Camas | 27.90 | 27,007 | $141,126 | $751,543 | $2,090 |
| 4 | Port Angeles | 29.20 | 20,118 | $62,606 | $450,576 | $1,170 |
| 5 | Kelso | 30.20 | 12,684 | $66,751 | $384,872 | $1,220 |
| 6 | Kenmore | 32.20 | 23,741 | $139,764 | $1,046,652 | $1,949 |
| 7 | Spokane | 32.90 | 230,293 | $70,064 | $395,325 | $1,215 |
| 8 | Washougal | 34.20 | 17,490 | $106,368 | $640,872 | $1,701 |
| 9 | Vancouver | 34.30 | 195,300 | $81,338 | $509,318 | $1,702 |
| 10 | Cheney | 34.50 | 12,804 | $54,503 | $420,133 | $1,156 |
| 11 | Bainbridge Island | 34.60 | 24,631 | $172,188 | $1,173,703 | $2,194 |
| 12 | Mercer Island | 35.50 | 25,307 | $219,069 | $2,326,984 | $2,502 |
| 13 | Des Moines | 36.40 | 32,823 | $92,483 | $612,731 | $1,799 |
| 14 | Marysville | 36.50 | 73,002 | $103,974 | $634,696 | $1,997 |
| 15 | Pullman | 37.50 | 32,229 | $46,812 | $423,693 | $1,062 |
| 16 | Longview | 37.60 | 38,069 | $61,747 | $385,310 | $1,137 |
| 17 | Centralia | 37.60 | 18,830 | $56,219 | $395,613 | $1,084 |
| 18 | Ferndale | 37.70 | 15,999 | $87,579 | $616,287 | $1,477 |
| 19 | Snohomish | 38.20 | 10,239 | $87,250 | $939,010 | $1,654 |
| 20 | Mukilteo | 38.30 | 21,323 | $132,861 | $933,199 | $2,166 |
| 21 | Walla Walla | 39.20 | 33,925 | $66,748 | $413,578 | $1,323 |
| 22 | Bellingham | 39.50 | 93,438 | $66,755 | $668,589 | $1,577 |
| 23 | Mount Vernon | 39.50 | 35,377 | $75,777 | $586,879 | $1,405 |
| 24 | Shoreline | 40.00 | 61,431 | $112,751 | $831,857 | $1,985 |
| 25 | Bothell | 40.20 | 49,610 | $140,427 | $1,061,138 | $2,346 |
| 26 | Burien | 40.40 | 51,513 | $91,318 | $650,469 | $1,782 |
| 27 | Everett | 40.80 | 111,845 | $83,512 | $662,786 | $1,740 |
| 28 | Sammamish | 41.10 | 66,463 | $239,690 | $1,627,993 | $2,857 |
| 29 | Kirkland | 41.20 | 92,621 | $150,414 | $1,265,788 | $2,401 |
| 30 | Wenatchee | 41.20 | 35,484 | $73,040 | $491,478 | $1,248 |
| 31 | Battle Ground | 41.60 | 21,886 | $104,977 | $606,387 | $1,576 |
| 32 | Tumwater | 42.00 | 26,956 | $95,212 | $526,058 | $1,779 |
| 33 | Lynden | 42.30 | 16,234 | $103,233 | $625,493 | $1,707 |
| 34 | Liberty Lake | 42.40 | 12,737 | $118,723 | $558,764 | $1,895 |
| 35 | Poulsbo | 42.70 | 12,165 | $116,250 | $665,803 | $1,886 |
| 36 | Moses Lake | 43.10 | 26,083 | $74,752 | $364,481 | $1,216 |
| 37 | Aberdeen | 43.20 | 17,088 | $52,195 | $273,201 | $1,049 |
| 38 | Lake Forest Park | 43.30 | 13,335 | $159,904 | $1,054,029 | $2,333 |
| 39 | Tacoma | 43.60 | 222,758 | $85,884 | $493,840 | $1,676 |
| 40 | Spokane Valley | 44.00 | 106,365 | $74,042 | $408,888 | $1,353 |
| 41 | Enumclaw | 44.10 | 12,798 | $121,250 | $680,130 | $1,954 |
| 42 | Richland | 44.20 | 62,753 | $95,813 | $466,467 | $1,468 |
| 43 | Ellensburg | 44.40 | 20,874 | $55,438 | $453,797 | $1,340 |
| 44 | Yakima | 44.50 | 96,961 | $62,815 | $359,876 | $1,117 |
| 45 | University Place | 44.50 | 34,911 | $99,031 | $661,410 | $1,762 |
| 46 | Olympia | 44.70 | 55,951 | $81,302 | $533,713 | $1,599 |
| 47 | Lakewood | 45.00 | 62,937 | $74,720 | $521,148 | $1,525 |
| 48 | Edmonds | 45.00 | 42,735 | $122,449 | $942,131 | $1,903 |
| 49 | SeaTac | 46.40 | 32,414 | $81,104 | $553,220 | $1,660 |
| 50 | Bremerton | 47.40 | 44,830 | $74,940 | $483,132 | $1,641 |
| 51 | Mill Creek | 47.80 | 20,956 | $124,364 | $981,773 | $2,249 |
| 52 | Renton | 48.00 | 105,317 | $100,432 | $764,375 | $1,998 |
| 53 | Oak Harbor | 48.10 | 24,362 | $76,084 | $528,587 | $1,645 |
| 54 | Bellevue | 48.30 | 151,847 | $165,576 | $1,516,154 | $2,572 |
| 55 | Newcastle | 48.30 | 12,989 | $160,278 | $1,424,187 | $2,369 |
| 56 | Edgewood | 48.40 | 13,032 | $116,132 | $737,911 | $2,034 |
| 57 | West Richland | 48.70 | 17,586 | $119,892 | $493,162 | $1,590 |
| 58 | Grandview | 48.70 | 11,187 | $61,106 | $339,263 | $1,107 |
| 59 | Maple Valley | 49.00 | 28,287 | $152,885 | $799,653 | $2,304 |
| 60 | Airway Heights | 49.00 | 11,245 | $62,874 | $372,868 | $1,389 |
| 61 | Seattle | 49.40 | 754,195 | $123,860 | $868,680 | $2,030 |
| 62 | Gig Harbor | 49.40 | 12,424 | $118,395 | $820,740 | $2,301 |
| 63 | Kennewick | 49.70 | 85,295 | $73,576 | $430,870 | $1,240 |
| 64 | Auburn | 49.80 | 85,676 | $97,884 | $614,182 | $1,786 |
| 65 | Snoqualmie | 50.10 | 13,798 | $214,107 | $1,122,657 | $2,938 |
| 66 | Lacey | 50.20 | 57,737 | $90,625 | $516,096 | $1,870 |
| 67 | Puyallup | 50.40 | 42,746 | $97,826 | $570,442 | $1,812 |
| 68 | Lynnwood | 50.50 | 40,110 | $77,704 | $784,107 | $1,742 |
| 69 | Mountlake Terrace | 51.30 | 23,104 | $107,687 | $699,079 | $2,004 |
| 70 | Federal Way | 51.60 | 99,493 | $86,909 | $601,744 | $1,797 |
| 71 | East Wenatchee | 52.90 | 14,199 | $77,558 | $510,449 | $1,327 |
| 72 | Pasco | 53.40 | 79,575 | $85,586 | $418,088 | $1,227 |
| 73 | Ridgefield | 53.70 | 13,408 | $116,389 | $665,864 | $2,335 |
| 74 | Burlington | 53.70 | 10,003 | $80,475 | $539,012 | $1,746 |
| 75 | Lake Stevens | 53.90 | 40,253 | $122,336 | $705,682 | $2,224 |
| 76 | Woodinville | 54.40 | 13,438 | $164,398 | $1,390,134 | $2,416 |
| 77 | Bonney Lake | 54.50 | 22,090 | $136,845 | $676,348 | $2,256 |
| 78 | Sumner | 54.80 | 10,733 | $98,191 | $593,648 | $1,974 |
| 79 | Arlington | 55.50 | 21,095 | $88,231 | $669,006 | $1,905 |
| 80 | Covington | 55.80 | 21,233 | $134,502 | $678,607 | $2,232 |
| 81 | Kent | 56.10 | 135,603 | $92,302 | $656,314 | $1,909 |
| 82 | Tukwila | 56.50 | 21,451 | $78,381 | $575,995 | $1,898 |
| 83 | Yelm | 56.60 | 11,102 | $90,750 | $489,021 | $1,626 |
| 84 | Monroe | 56.90 | 19,755 | $110,461 | $733,030 | $1,950 |
| 85 | Sunnyside | 57.60 | 16,277 | $60,923 | $322,238 | $1,026 |
| 86 | Shelton | 58.00 | 10,612 | $69,598 | $422,092 | $1,365 |
| 87 | Port Orchard | 58.60 | 17,149 | $89,795 | $556,428 | $1,797 |
| 88 | Redmond | 61.50 | 77,353 | $162,560 | $1,402,276 | $2,409 |
| 89 | Fife | 65.80 | 10,949 | $90,532 | $557,639 | $1,889 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, FBI UCR, OpenFlights. 89 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
Summary
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. Not sold on Washington? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places To Retire In Washington FAQs
What is the best place to retire in Washington?
Port Townsend is the best place to retire in Washington for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Anacortes and Camas are next.
What are the best places to retire in Washington?
The best places to retire in Washington are Port Townsend, Anacortes, Camas, Port Angeles, Kelso, Kenmore, Spokane, Washougal, Vancouver, and Cheney. We ranked all 89 cities with more than 10,000 residents.
How do you rank retirement spots?
We score every qualifying Washington city on rent, crime, things to do, weather, airport access, and median age. The city that balances all six best, Port Townsend, takes the top spot.
How much does a home cost in Port Townsend?
The median home in Port Townsend runs $633,223, against $601,016 across Washington as a whole. Across the full top ten, the median home costs $571,270.
Which Washington place came in last for retirees?
Fife lands at the bottom of the retirement ranking for Washington. Not ready to retire anyway? Then Fife might suit you fine.
