You’ve seen these lists before. Best places to live in Washington. Best sururbs in Washington. Best counties in Washington.
Etc., etc., etc.
But they all focus on major cities and towns in the Evergreen State, and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that’s all about to change as we put together a list of the superb small towns in Washington based on numbers–not opinions or hearsay.
We’ll dive right into our methodology in the next section, but first, we thought you might want to know which places in Washington ranked the best based on Saturday Night Science.
Before we get to the top 15, here’s a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in Washington for 2023.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In Washington For 2023
- Medina
- Yarrow Point
- Clyde Hill
- Lake Marcel-Stillwater
- Woodway
- Ames Lake
- Canterwood
- Ruston
- River Road
- Monroe North
What’s the best small town in Washington? Medina is the best small town in Washington based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Medina, chances are, you’re not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you–keep reading, and we’ll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Evergreen State check out:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Most Dangerous Cities In Washington
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 15 Best Small Towns In Washington For 2023
1. Medina
/10
Population: 2,928
Median Income: $208,500 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (2nd Best)
More on Medina:
2. Yarrow Point
/10
Population: 1,365
Median Income: $250,001 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (2nd Best)
More on Yarrow Point:
3. Clyde Hill
/10
Population: 3,118
Median Income: $250,001 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (2nd Best)
More on Clyde Hill:
4. Lake Marcel-Stillwater
/10
Population: 1,465
Median Income: $153,750 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $551,900 (33rd Best)
More on Lake Marcel-Stillwater:
5. Woodway
/10
Population: 1,119
Median Income: $188,125 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,235,700 (4th Best)
More on Woodway:
6. Ames Lake
/10
Population: 1,264
Median Income: $146,481 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $816,100 (5th Best)
More on Ames Lake:
7. Canterwood
/10
Population: 2,975
Median Income: $106,750 (48th Best)
Median Home Value: $667,100 (10th Best)
More on Canterwood:
8. Ruston
/10
Population: 1,238
Median Income: $108,269 (43rd Best)
Median Home Value: $603,400 (18th Best)
More on Ruston:
9. River Road
Population: 1,056
Median Income: $128,962 (18th Best)
Median Home Value: $347,600 (85th Best)
More on River Road:
10. Monroe North
/10
Population: 2,037
Median Income: $169,375 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $624,600 (15th Best)
More on Monroe North:
11. Dash Point
/10
Population: 1,035
Median Income: $123,906 (22nd Best)
Median Home Value: $684,400 (9th Best)
More on Dash Point:
12. Walla Walla East
/10
Population: 2,062
Median Income: $78,387 (83rd Best)
Median Home Value: $370,400 (79th Best)
More on Walla Walla East:
13. Geneva
/10
Population: 2,437
Median Income: $89,904 (65th Best)
Median Home Value: $470,600 (48th Best)
More on Geneva:
14. Clearview
/10
Population: 3,621
Median Income: $163,750 (6th Best)
Median Home Value: $643,500 (12th Best)
More on Clearview:
15. Carnation
/10
Population: 2,219
Median Income: $123,158 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $560,500 (30th Best)
More on Carnation:
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Washington
We threw a lot of criteria at this report to get the best, most complete results of the best small towns in Washington possible.
Using the most recent data from the Census’s 2017-2021 American Community Survey, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Saturday Night Science, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which there were many – 191 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 191, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Washington. Top of that list — Medina.
This is our tenth time ranking the best small places to live in Washington.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once, and we’ll say it again — this list: it’s just science. We did the research, crunched the numbers, and it turns out these 15 small towns in Washington are the best in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Washington:
- Peaceful Valley
- Mattawa
- Neah Bay
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
Detailed List Of The Best Small Towns In Washington
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Medina, WA | 2,928 |
2 | Yarrow Point, WA | 1,365 |
3 | Clyde Hill, WA | 3,118 |
4 | Lake Marcel-Stillwater, WA | 1,465 |
5 | Woodway, WA | 1,119 |
6 | Ames Lake, WA | 1,264 |
7 | Canterwood, WA | 2,975 |
8 | Ruston, WA | 1,238 |
9 | River Road, WA | 1,056 |
10 | Monroe North, WA | 2,037 |
11 | Dash Point, WA | 1,035 |
12 | Walla Walla East, WA | 2,062 |
13 | Geneva, WA | 2,437 |
14 | Clearview, WA | 3,621 |
15 | Carnation, WA | 2,219 |
16 | Riverbend, WA | 2,377 |
17 | Chico, WA | 3,187 |
18 | Lake Holm, WA | 3,293 |
19 | Leavenworth, WA | 2,395 |
20 | White Salmon, WA | 2,519 |
21 | Palouse, WA | 1,008 |
22 | Meadowdale, WA | 3,065 |
23 | Esperance, WA | 4,422 |
24 | Kayak Point, WA | 1,468 |
25 | Meadow Glade, WA | 2,606 |
26 | Larch Way, WA | 4,030 |
27 | Maple Heights-Lake Desire, WA | 3,370 |
28 | Fall City, WA | 2,187 |
29 | Lofall, WA | 2,066 |
30 | Sunnyslope, WA | 3,505 |
31 | Fox Island, WA | 3,534 |
32 | High Bridge, WA | 2,935 |
33 | Fife Heights, WA | 1,833 |
34 | Garrett, WA | 1,755 |
35 | Wilderness Rim, WA | 2,270 |
36 | Rosedale, WA | 4,421 |
37 | Browns Point, WA | 1,069 |
38 | Mirrormont, WA | 4,196 |
39 | Cathcart, WA | 2,241 |
40 | Kingston, WA | 2,912 |
41 | Stansberry Lake, WA | 2,062 |
42 | Southworth, WA | 2,017 |
43 | Bunk Foss, WA | 3,622 |
44 | Fobes Hill, WA | 2,798 |
45 | Bryant, WA | 2,074 |
46 | Venersborg, WA | 4,011 |
47 | Medical Lake, WA | 4,832 |
48 | Three Lakes, WA | 3,489 |
49 | Brush Prairie, WA | 2,738 |
50 | Chain Lake, WA | 4,923 |
51 | Stevenson, WA | 1,572 |
52 | Central Park, WA | 3,144 |
53 | Wauna, WA | 4,506 |
54 | Allyn, WA | 2,363 |
55 | Langley, WA | 1,194 |
56 | Duluth, WA | 1,273 |
57 | Shadow Lake, WA | 2,200 |
58 | Summitview, WA | 2,009 |
59 | La Conner, WA | 1,061 |
60 | Rocky Point, WA | 1,474 |
61 | Hansville, WA | 3,465 |
62 | Coupeville, WA | 1,937 |
63 | Mcmillin, WA | 1,077 |
64 | Big Lake, WA | 2,279 |
65 | Friday Harbor, WA | 2,587 |
66 | Burley, WA | 2,499 |
67 | Moxee, WA | 4,303 |
68 | Prairie Heights, WA | 4,610 |
69 | La Center, WA | 3,471 |
70 | Desert Aire, WA | 2,819 |
71 | Key Center, WA | 3,408 |
72 | Vaughn, WA | 1,201 |
73 | Arlington Heights, WA | 2,774 |
74 | Coulee Dam, WA | 1,394 |
75 | Granite Falls, WA | 4,447 |
76 | Cashmere, WA | 3,215 |
77 | Warm Beach, WA | 3,313 |
78 | Davenport, WA | 1,785 |
79 | Sisco Heights, WA | 3,257 |
80 | Asotin, WA | 1,072 |
81 | Montesano, WA | 4,070 |
82 | Kalama, WA | 2,888 |
83 | Lewisville, WA | 2,414 |
84 | Fords Prairie, WA | 2,605 |
85 | Freeland, WA | 1,997 |
86 | Clinton, WA | 1,033 |
87 | Dayton, WA | 2,544 |
88 | Marietta-Alderwood, WA | 3,702 |
89 | Crocker, WA | 1,230 |
90 | Purdy, WA | 1,429 |
91 | Anderson Island, WA | 1,564 |
92 | Navy Yard City, WA | 2,784 |
93 | Lake Ketchum, WA | 1,373 |
94 | Elma, WA | 3,390 |
95 | Machias, WA | 1,239 |
96 | Yacolt, WA | 1,482 |
97 | Home, WA | 1,989 |
98 | Enetai, WA | 1,946 |
99 | Amboy, WA | 1,832 |
100 | Indianola, WA | 3,538 |