You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Washington.
The median household income in King County, the richest county in Washington is $124,746, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 39 counties in the Evergreen State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in Washington? The richest county in Washington is King County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Ferry County, according to the Census data.
$124,746 median income · $871,203 median home price
$111,246 median income · $762,457 median home price
$104,158 median income · $581,186 median home price
$90,551 median income · $636,280 median home price
$99,564 median income · $569,201 median home price
$84,800 median income · $875,339 median home price
$97,536 median income · $550,945 median home price
$93,265 median income · $558,353 median home price
$89,263 median income · $581,879 median home price
$96,563 median income · $529,712 median home price
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 Washington’s richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which Washington county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Washington, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Washington for each of the criteria from one to 39, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Washington.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Evergreen State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Washington. The median Washington home is 39 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Washington
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 2,287,171 | $124,746 | $871,203 |
| 2 | Snohomish County | 844,430 | $111,246 | $762,457 |
| 3 | Kitsap County | 277,881 | $104,158 | $581,186 |
| 4 | Island County | 86,836 | $90,551 | $636,280 |
| 5 | Pierce County | 930,319 | $99,564 | $569,201 |
| 5 | San Juan County | 18,478 | $84,800 | $875,339 |
| 7 | Clark County | 516,959 | $97,536 | $550,945 |
| 8 | Skamania County | 12,402 | $93,265 | $558,353 |
| 8 | Skagit County | 131,328 | $89,263 | $581,879 |
| 10 | Thurston County | 299,067 | $96,563 | $529,712 |
| 11 | Whatcom County | 230,503 | $81,784 | $615,922 |
| 12 | Chelan County | 80,172 | $82,381 | $532,390 |
| 13 | Jefferson County | 33,577 | $74,048 | $594,864 |
| 14 | Benton County | 212,905 | $89,874 | $448,374 |
| 15 | Mason County | 67,982 | $83,270 | $449,928 |
| 16 | Douglas County | 44,366 | $80,363 | $490,676 |
| 17 | Franklin County | 98,902 | $86,714 | $418,168 |
| 18 | Kittitas County | 47,172 | $73,804 | $491,430 |
| 19 | Spokane County | 549,056 | $78,582 | $421,160 |
| 20 | Lewis County | 85,154 | $74,796 | $432,807 |
| 21 | Cowlitz County | 112,360 | $76,531 | $416,973 |
| 23 | Klickitat County | 23,411 | $71,042 | $462,971 |
| 23 | Walla Walla County | 62,161 | $74,202 | $413,300 |
| 23 | Clallam County | 77,813 | $70,370 | $491,326 |
| 25 | Grant County | 101,799 | $73,267 | $359,154 |
| 26 | Asotin County | 22,467 | $72,283 | $342,122 |
| 27 | Stevens County | 48,067 | $69,327 | $366,840 |
| 28 | Yakima County | 257,152 | $70,656 | $350,640 |
| 29 | Pend Oreille County | 14,050 | $67,436 | $366,563 |
| 30 | Lincoln County | 11,489 | $71,512 | $317,803 |
| 31 | Wahkiakum County | 4,658 | $62,653 | $394,449 |
| 32 | Pacific County | 23,994 | $67,081 | $333,083 |
| 32 | Columbia County | 4,014 | $71,810 | $263,242 |
| 34 | Grays Harbor County | 77,053 | $64,414 | $318,140 |
| 35 | Adams County | 20,800 | $66,136 | $309,432 |
| 36 | Whitman County | 47,003 | $55,406 | $320,724 |
| 36 | Okanogan County | 43,425 | $63,207 | $312,253 |
| 38 | Garfield County | 2,353 | $64,884 | $242,094 |
| 39 | Ferry County | 7,387 | $55,614 | $289,885 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 39 Washington counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In Washington For 2026
Living in Washington can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Washington are King County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County, Island County, Pierce County, San Juan County, Clark County, Skamania County, Skagit County, and Thurston County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on Washington? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In Washington FAQs
What is the richest county in Washington?
King County is the richest county in Washington for 2026, with a median household income of $124,746. Snohomish County and Kitsap County are next.
What are the richest counties in Washington?
The richest counties in Washington are King County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County, Island County, Pierce County, San Juan County, Clark County, Skamania County, Skagit County, and Thurston County. We ranked all 39 Washington counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in King County?
The median household in King County earns $124,746 a year, against a Washington statewide median of $98,141. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of Washington?
The median home across the ten richest Washington counties is $581,532, versus $601,016 statewide. In King County, the typical home runs $871,203.
What is the poorest county in Washington?
Ferry County is the poorest county in Washington by this ranking, coming in last of the 39 counties we scored on income and home prices.
