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You've seen these lists before: Best places to live in Washington, Most Beautiful Downtowns, etc., etc. But all of them 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 best 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 just want to know which places in Washington ranked the based--you know, based on science.
Before we get to the top 15, here's a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in Washington for 2022.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In Washington For 2022
What's the best small town in Washington? Yarrow Point is the best small town in Washington based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Yarrow Point, 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
The 15 Best Small Towns In Washington For 2022
/10
Population: 1,353
Median Income: $250,001 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (2nd Best)
More on Yarrow Point: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,283
Median Income: $185,163 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (2nd Best)
More on Medina: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,360
Median Income: $250,001 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $2,000,001 (2nd Best)
More on Clyde Hill: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,077
Median Income: $196,442 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $1,205,000 (4th Best)
More on Woodway: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,070
Median Income: $117,344 (21st Best)
Median Home Value: $580,900 (10th Best)
More on Canterwood: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,459
Median Income: $77,006 (75th Best)
Median Home Value: $324,800 (83rd Best)
More on Walla Walla East: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,346
Median Income: $125,903 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $472,300 (34th Best)
More on Lake Marcel-Stillwater: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,601
Median Income: $65,781 (101st Best)
Median Home Value: $347,900 (76th Best)
More on White Salmon: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,317
Median Income: $115,375 (22nd Best)
Median Home Value: $710,800 (6th Best)
More on Ames Lake: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,332
Median Income: $120,673 (16th Best)
Median Home Value: $499,800 (29th Best)
More on Lake Holm: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,521
Median Income: $97,419 (52nd Best)
Median Home Value: $449,700 (43rd Best)
More on Riverbend: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 3,847
Median Income: $154,545 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $643,100 (9th Best)
More on Clearview: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,740
Median Income: $146,583 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $531,600 (21st Best)
More on Monroe North: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,329
Median Income: $101,591 (44th Best)
Median Home Value: $552,900 (13th Best)
More on Ruston: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,500
Median Income: $113,864 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $460,300 (40th Best)
More on Kayak Point: Data | Homes For Sale
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In Washington
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent data from the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 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 a lot - 189 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 189, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Washington. Top of that list -- Yarrow Point. You can download the data here.
Keep reading to find out more about our top 15 best small towns 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, we 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
- Neah Bay
- Dallesport
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington