The 10 Best Small Towns In Washington For 2026


The best small towns in Washington are Clyde Hill and Yarrow Point for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

By: Chris Kolmar | About HomeSnacks
Last Updated: April 18, 2026

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.

Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table

The 15 Best Small Towns To Live In Washington For 2026

  1. Clyde Hill
  2. Yarrow Point
  3. Woodway
  4. Medina
  5. Wilderness Rim
  6. Ames Lake
  7. Meadowdale
  8. Chico
  9. Larch Way
  10. Carnation
  11. Sunnyslope
  12. Clearview
  13. Fall City
  14. Fox Island
  15. Cavalero

Best Small Towns To Live In Washington Map

What’s the best small town in Washington? Clyde Hill is the best small town in Washington based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Clyde Hill, 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:

The 15 Best Small Towns In Washington For 2026

1. Clyde Hill

Clyde Hill, WA

Source: Flickr User KurtClark | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 3,119
Median Income: $250,001 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $4,133,450 (3rd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7%

2. Yarrow Point

Overall SnackAbility

10
/10

Population: 1,198
Median Income: $250,001 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $4,287,550 (2nd Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.2%

3. Woodway

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,251
Median Income: $204,583 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $2,370,724 (4th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7%

4. Medina

Medina, WA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

8
/10

Population: 2,928
Median Income: $250,001 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $4,512,513 (1st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8%

5. Wilderness Rim

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,560
Median Income: $149,870 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $725,243 (46th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 1.2%

6. Ames Lake

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,245
Median Income: $250,001 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $1,304,011 (5th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1%

7. Meadowdale

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 3,009
Median Income: $173,902 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $907,379 (17th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%

8. Chico

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 3,336
Median Income: $140,500 (32nd Best)
Median Home Value: $715,982 (48th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.9%

9. Larch Way

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 4,424
Median Income: $160,040 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $896,947 (21st Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.4%

10. Carnation

Overall SnackAbility

9
/10

Population: 2,366
Median Income: $152,763 (22nd Best)
Median Home Value: $1,029,775 (9th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%

11. Sunnyslope

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 3,706
Median Income: $135,769 (34th Best)
Median Home Value: $760,265 (36th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.8%

12. Clearview

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,254
Median Income: $192,540 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $949,533 (13th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.4%

13. Fall City

Source: Public Domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 1,618
Median Income: $177,019 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,201,410 (6th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%

14. Fox Island

Overall SnackAbility

6
/10

Population: 3,414
Median Income: $172,292 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $1,064,153 (7th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4%

15. Cavalero

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 1,591
Median Income: $148,462 (27th Best)
Median Home Value: $698,311 (56th Best)
Unemployment Rate: 0.0%

Best States In America

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 2020-2024 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 – 194 to be exact.

We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 194, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in Washington. Top of that list — Clyde Hill.

This is our eleventh 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?

The best small towns in Washington are Clyde Hill, Yarrow Point, Woodway, Medina, Wilderness Rim, Ames Lake, Meadowdale, Chico, Larch Way, and Carnation.

If you’re curious, here are the worst small towns in Washington:

  1. Mattawa
  2. Basin City
  3. Peaceful Valley

For more Washington reading, check out:

Best Small Towns In Washington

Rank City Population Median Income Median Home Value Unemployment Rate
1 Clyde Hill, WA 3,119 $250,001 4.7%
2 Yarrow Point, WA 1,198 $250,001 2.2%
3 Woodway, WA 1,251 $204,583 0.7%
4 Medina, WA 2,928 $250,001 2.8%
5 Wilderness Rim, WA 1,560 $149,870 1.2%
6 Ames Lake, WA 1,245 $250,001 3.1%
7 Meadowdale, WA 3,009 $173,902 3.9%
8 Chico, WA 3,336 $140,500 0.9%
9 Larch Way, WA 4,424 $160,040 0.4%
10 Carnation, WA 2,366 $152,763 2.5%
11 Sunnyslope, WA 3,706 $135,769 0.8%
12 Clearview, WA 3,254 $192,540 0.4%
13 Fall City, WA 1,618 $177,019 3.9%
14 Fox Island, WA 3,414 $172,292 2.4%
15 Cavalero, WA 1,591 $148,462 0.0%
16 Rosedale, WA 4,208 $158,800 6.5%
17 Fife Heights, WA 1,446 $157,292 4.5%
18 Geneva, WA 2,073 $142,188 12.1%
19 Lake Marcel-Stillwater, WA 1,549 $201,845 0.0%
20 Monroe North, WA 1,456 $169,844 3.7%
21 Riverbend, WA 1,748 $148,269 2.7%
22 Mirrormont, WA 4,019 $181,842 2.1%
23 Walla Walla East, WA 2,099 $89,951 0.0%
24 Canterwood, WA 2,971 $159,808 8.2%
25 Lofall, WA 1,800 $113,750 5.3%
26 Cathcart, WA 2,064 $130,400 1.1%
27 Lake Holm, WA 3,555 $177,371 3.0%
28 Maple Heights-Lake Desire, WA 4,113 $143,148 1.3%
29 Mcmillin, WA 1,348 $140,556 4.0%
30 Fern Prairie, WA 2,053 $115,875 3.4%
31 Moxee, WA 4,625 $100,512 0.8%
32 Meadow Glade, WA 2,281 $129,427 0.9%
33 Big Lake, WA 2,326 $109,286 0.0%
34 Coupeville, WA 1,980 $81,625 1.9%
35 Esperance, WA 4,189 $148,640 3.2%
36 White Salmon, WA 2,548 $72,923 1.8%
37 Leavenworth, WA 2,569 $69,943 0.7%
38 Southworth, WA 2,286 $123,281 3.1%
39 Marrowstone, WA 1,164 $110,368 0.0%
40 Medical Lake, WA 4,950 $79,989 1.2%
41 High Bridge, WA 3,196 $167,337 2.9%
42 Bunk Foss, WA 3,627 $155,201 6.0%
43 Duluth, WA 1,656 $92,034 0.0%
44 West Pasco, WA 1,122 $120,341 5.3%
45 Palouse, WA 1,147 $88,750 0.5%
46 La Center, WA 3,883 $101,708 3.6%
47 Friday Harbor, WA 2,728 $80,378 2.7%
48 Brush Prairie, WA 2,526 $122,827 4.8%
49 Chain Lake, WA 4,950 $161,286 4.2%
50 Bell Hill, WA 1,041 $79,084 6.5%
51 Three Lakes, WA 4,055 $172,879 1.5%
52 Bryant, WA 2,648 $121,669 0.0%
53 Burley, WA 2,443 $118,047 2.7%
54 Fobes Hill, WA 2,569 $133,553 5.7%
55 Enetai, WA 2,387 $87,870 8.5%
56 Granite Falls, WA 4,659 $105,136 2.4%
57 Langley, WA 1,044 $77,072 4.2%
58 Marietta-Alderwood, WA 3,754 $76,019 2.6%
59 Kayak Point, WA 1,883 $119,352 5.0%
60 Garrett, WA 1,697 $118,609 5.9%
61 Eatonville, WA 2,850 $114,688 3.2%
62 Stansberry Lake, WA 1,807 $90,917 4.9%
63 Allyn, WA 2,404 $97,716 6.6%
64 Town And Country, WA 4,890 $92,652 5.9%
65 Lake Ketchum, WA 1,235 $136,211 0.0%
66 Central Park, WA 3,206 $99,127 2.8%
67 Cashmere, WA 3,304 $64,053 0.4%
68 Lake Cassidy, WA 3,292 $113,403 1.6%
69 Stevenson, WA 1,603 $76,563 5.0%
70 Rocky Point, WA 1,716 $85,521 4.7%
71 Everson, WA 3,040 $80,250 2.0%
72 Wauna, WA 4,805 $103,250 3.7%
73 Prairie Heights, WA 4,998 $130,640 4.6%
74 Machias, WA 1,276 $151,875 5.7%
75 Sisco Heights, WA 3,015 $119,158 2.5%
76 Warm Beach, WA 3,442 $99,940 2.9%
77 Purdy, WA 1,344 $91,204 10.9%
78 Ilwaco, WA 1,365 $98,200 0.0%
79 Summitview, WA 2,321 $105,184 2.7%
80 Millwood, WA 1,890 $83,068 0.7%
81 Kingston, WA 2,496 $90,625 2.2%
82 North Puyallup, WA 1,653 $83,489 0.0%
83 Port Ludlow, WA 2,891 $96,103 6.4%
84 Venersborg, WA 4,262 $118,344 7.9%
85 Shadow Lake, WA 2,465 $152,552 3.6%
86 Chelan, WA 4,350 $82,637 1.6%
87 Kalama, WA 3,050 $102,026 1.3%
88 Anderson Island, WA 1,448 $80,282 0.0%
89 Lewisville, WA 2,465 $125,647 3.8%
90 Asotin, WA 1,021 $77,083 3.8%
91 Manson, WA 1,462 $91,319 5.1%
92 Yacolt, WA 1,684 $84,740 1.7%
93 Hansville, WA 3,384 $92,426 7.8%
94 Fairchild Afb, WA 2,931 $69,917 11.0%
95 Navy Yard City, WA 2,672 $69,852 0.7%
96 Sunday Lake, WA 1,375 $91,500 10.0%
97 Indianola, WA 3,468 $98,684 5.0%
98 Port Angeles East, WA 3,137 $68,241 3.2%
99 Mcchord Afb, WA 2,999 $54,808 0.0%
100 Cosmopolis, WA 2,202 $84,853 5.8%
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.

 Best Small Towns, Rankings