There are all types when it comes to being a snob in Washington. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which Washington cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in Washington. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 122 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of Washington.
The Washingtonian in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$219,069 median income · $2,326,984 median home · #2 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle Metropolitan Area, with Seattle located to its west and Bellevue located to its east.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$239,690 median income · $1,627,993 median home · #1 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Sammamish is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 63,773 in a 2016 census estimate. Located on a plateau, the city is bordered by Lake Sammamish to the west and the Snoqualmie Valley to the east.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$165,576 median income · $1,516,154 median home · #7 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$162,560 median income · $1,402,276 median home · #9 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located 16 miles east of Seattle, within the high-tech enclave of Seattle metropolitan area. The population is 62,458 in 2016, an increase from the 2010 census, up from 45,256 in the 2000 census. Redmond is commonly recognized as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. With an annual bike race on city streets and the state’s only velodrome, Redmond is also known as the “Bicycle Capital of the Northwest”.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$172,188 median income · $1,173,703 median home · #6 income in Washington
Located in
Kitsap County, Washington
Bainbridge Island is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, and is coextensive with the eponymous island in Puget Sound. The population was 23,025 at the 2010 census, making Bainbridge Island the second largest city in Kitsap County.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$214,107 median income · $1,122,657 median home · #3 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Snoqualmie is a city next to Snoqualmie Falls in King County, Washington. It is twenty-five miles east of Seattle. This city is home to the Northwest Railway Museum. The population was 13,190 in a 2016 census estimate.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$164,398 median income · $1,390,134 median home · #8 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Woodinville is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,938 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. There is also a much larger population with Woodinville mailing addresses in adjacent unincorporated areas of King and Snohomish counties. Woodinville has waterfront parks on the Sammamish River, sweeping winery and brewery grounds, and densely wooded residential areas.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$160,278 median income · $1,424,187 median home · #11 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Newcastle is an Eastside city in King County, Washington, United States. Its population was 10,380 at the 2010 census.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$154,669 median income · $1,158,594 median home · #13 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Issaquah is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 37,322 in a 2016 census estimate. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the Issaquah Alps to the south.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$150,414 median income · $1,265,788 median home · #15 income in Washington
Located in
King County, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. A suburb east of Seattle, its population was 87,281 at the 2015 census estimate, which made it the sixth largest city in the county and the twelfth largest in the state.
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 the snobs live in Washington
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Evergreen State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in Washington with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 122 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 122 places in each category with scores from one to 122. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in Washington. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Mercer Island (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In Washington For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer Island | 1.33 | 25,307 | $219,069 | $2,326,984 | 82.0% |
| 2 | Sammamish | 1.67 | 66,463 | $239,690 | $1,627,993 | 78.0% |
| 3 | Bellevue | 5.00 | 151,847 | $165,576 | $1,516,154 | 73.0% |
| 4 | Redmond | 5.83 | 77,353 | $162,560 | $1,402,276 | 76.0% |
| 5 | Bainbridge Island | 5.83 | 24,631 | $172,188 | $1,173,703 | 76.0% |
| 6 | Snoqualmie | 6.33 | 13,798 | $214,107 | $1,122,657 | 72.0% |
| 7 | Woodinville | 7.33 | 13,438 | $164,398 | $1,390,134 | 70.0% |
| 8 | Newcastle | 8.00 | 12,989 | $160,278 | $1,424,187 | 69.0% |
| 9 | Issaquah | 9.67 | 39,591 | $154,669 | $1,158,594 | 71.0% |
| 10 | Kirkland | 11.00 | 92,621 | $150,414 | $1,265,788 | 67.0% |
| 11 | North Bend | 11.33 | 7,953 | $175,109 | $1,008,581 | 63.0% |
| 12 | Lake Forest Park | 12.00 | 13,335 | $159,904 | $1,054,029 | 65.0% |
| 13 | Normandy Park | 13.00 | 6,659 | $162,476 | $1,050,869 | 60.0% |
| 14 | Duvall | 13.17 | 8,526 | $197,361 | $980,302 | 59.0% |
| 15 | Bothell | 15.50 | 49,610 | $140,427 | $1,061,138 | 59.0% |
| 16 | Kenmore | 15.67 | 23,741 | $139,764 | $1,046,652 | 62.0% |
| 17 | Seattle | 19.67 | 754,195 | $123,860 | $868,680 | 68.0% |
| 18 | Mill Creek | 21.00 | 20,956 | $124,364 | $981,773 | 56.0% |
| 19 | Mukilteo | 21.33 | 21,323 | $132,861 | $933,199 | 56.0% |
| 20 | Black Diamond | 21.67 | 5,961 | $141,383 | $776,133 | 55.0% |
| 21 | Camas | 22.00 | 27,007 | $141,126 | $751,543 | 56.0% |
| 22 | Brier | 22.17 | 6,545 | $132,045 | $1,012,104 | 52.0% |
| 23 | Maple Valley | 23.17 | 28,287 | $152,885 | $799,653 | 50.0% |
| 24 | Edmonds | 23.50 | 42,735 | $122,449 | $942,131 | 54.0% |
| 25 | Gig Harbor | 28.50 | 12,424 | $118,395 | $820,740 | 52.0% |
| 26 | Shoreline | 30.17 | 61,431 | $112,751 | $831,857 | 52.0% |
| 27 | Covington | 35.00 | 21,233 | $134,502 | $678,607 | 37.0% |
| 28 | DuPont | 36.67 | 9,931 | $120,781 | $621,242 | 53.0% |
| 29 | Lake Stevens | 37.33 | 40,253 | $122,336 | $705,682 | 36.0% |
| 30 | Poulsbo | 37.50 | 12,165 | $116,250 | $665,803 | 48.0% |
| 31 | Mountlake Terrace | 38.33 | 23,104 | $107,687 | $699,079 | 43.0% |
| 32 | Renton | 39.67 | 105,317 | $100,432 | $764,375 | 39.0% |
| 33 | Ridgefield | 39.67 | 13,408 | $116,389 | $665,864 | 39.0% |
| 34 | Bonney Lake | 40.83 | 22,090 | $136,845 | $676,348 | 31.0% |
| 35 | Fircrest | 40.83 | 7,069 | $113,926 | $623,545 | 50.0% |
| 36 | Edgewood | 41.83 | 13,032 | $116,132 | $737,911 | 33.0% |
| 37 | Anacortes | 42.50 | 17,966 | $91,951 | $725,456 | 47.0% |
| 38 | Steilacoom | 42.83 | 6,686 | $100,851 | $640,511 | 49.0% |
| 39 | University Place | 44.33 | 34,911 | $99,031 | $661,410 | 42.0% |
| 40 | Liberty Lake | 45.83 | 12,737 | $118,723 | $558,764 | 48.0% |
| 41 | Monroe | 46.67 | 19,755 | $110,461 | $733,030 | 30.0% |
| 42 | Snohomish | 46.83 | 10,239 | $87,250 | $939,010 | 35.0% |
| 43 | Enumclaw | 48.67 | 12,798 | $121,250 | $680,130 | 27.0% |
| 44 | Lynnwood | 52.67 | 40,110 | $77,704 | $784,107 | 36.0% |
| 45 | West Richland | 53.33 | 17,586 | $119,892 | $493,162 | 39.0% |
| 46 | Lynden | 53.67 | 16,234 | $103,233 | $625,493 | 32.0% |
| 47 | Washougal | 54.17 | 17,490 | $106,368 | $640,872 | 29.0% |
| 48 | Buckley | 54.83 | 5,371 | $124,583 | $657,837 | 23.0% |
| 49 | Burien | 55.17 | 51,513 | $91,318 | $650,469 | 33.0% |
| 50 | Ferndale | 56.17 | 15,999 | $87,579 | $616,287 | 38.0% |
| 51 | Des Moines | 56.33 | 32,823 | $92,483 | $612,731 | 34.0% |
| 52 | Kent | 57.33 | 135,603 | $92,302 | $656,314 | 30.0% |
| 53 | Tumwater | 57.33 | 26,956 | $95,212 | $526,058 | 43.0% |
| 54 | Bellingham | 57.83 | 93,438 | $66,755 | $668,589 | 49.0% |
| 55 | Sultan | 59.00 | 6,116 | $94,730 | $564,591 | 34.0% |
| 56 | Olympia | 59.83 | 55,951 | $81,302 | $533,713 | 52.0% |
| 57 | Richland | 60.17 | 62,753 | $95,813 | $466,467 | 47.0% |
| 58 | Battle Ground | 60.67 | 21,886 | $104,977 | $606,387 | 27.0% |
| 59 | Port Townsend | 60.67 | 10,438 | $62,606 | $633,223 | 54.0% |
| 60 | Orting | 60.83 | 8,978 | $132,877 | $560,311 | 24.0% |
| 61 | Marysville | 61.00 | 73,002 | $103,974 | $634,696 | 25.0% |
| 62 | Stanwood | 61.67 | 8,373 | $90,242 | $715,579 | 25.0% |
| 63 | Everett | 62.83 | 111,845 | $83,512 | $662,786 | 29.0% |
| 64 | Puyallup | 62.83 | 42,746 | $97,826 | $570,442 | 29.0% |
| 65 | Port Orchard | 62.83 | 17,149 | $89,795 | $556,428 | 35.0% |
| 66 | Sumner | 63.33 | 10,733 | $98,191 | $593,648 | 27.0% |
| 67 | Auburn | 63.83 | 85,676 | $97,884 | $614,182 | 26.0% |
| 68 | Federal Way | 64.50 | 99,493 | $86,909 | $601,744 | 31.0% |
| 69 | Pacific | 66.83 | 7,066 | $115,625 | $561,715 | 23.0% |
| 70 | Lacey | 67.33 | 57,737 | $90,625 | $516,096 | 33.0% |
| 71 | Arlington | 68.50 | 21,095 | $88,231 | $669,006 | 21.0% |
| 72 | Blaine | 69.50 | 6,100 | $84,030 | $541,720 | 32.0% |
| 73 | Tacoma | 70.00 | 222,758 | $85,884 | $493,840 | 34.0% |
| 74 | Fife | 70.33 | 10,949 | $90,532 | $557,639 | 28.0% |
| 75 | Milton | 72.50 | 8,894 | $96,540 | $572,123 | 21.0% |
| 76 | Vancouver | 72.83 | 195,300 | $81,338 | $509,318 | 32.0% |
| 77 | Mount Vernon | 73.83 | 35,377 | $75,777 | $586,879 | 29.0% |
| 78 | Yelm | 76.00 | 11,102 | $90,750 | $489,021 | 27.0% |
| 79 | Pullman | 77.67 | 32,229 | $46,812 | $423,693 | 61.0% |
| 80 | Sequim | 78.33 | 8,161 | $59,707 | $562,161 | 34.0% |
| 81 | SeaTac | 78.50 | 32,414 | $81,104 | $553,220 | 26.0% |
| 82 | Tukwila | 78.50 | 21,451 | $78,381 | $575,995 | 24.0% |
| 83 | Oak Harbor | 79.50 | 24,362 | $76,084 | $528,587 | 29.0% |
| 84 | Ellensburg | 83.00 | 20,874 | $55,438 | $453,797 | 41.0% |
| 85 | Wenatchee | 83.33 | 35,484 | $73,040 | $491,478 | 30.0% |
| 86 | Bremerton | 83.83 | 44,830 | $74,940 | $483,132 | 29.0% |
| 87 | Woodland | 84.33 | 6,487 | $81,193 | $589,005 | 13.0% |
| 88 | Burlington | 85.17 | 10,003 | $80,475 | $539,012 | 21.0% |
| 89 | Spokane | 85.67 | 230,293 | $70,064 | $395,325 | 34.0% |
| 90 | Lakewood | 87.00 | 62,937 | $74,720 | $521,148 | 24.0% |
| 91 | College Place | 87.00 | 9,854 | $61,914 | $404,142 | 36.0% |
| 92 | Cheney | 87.50 | 12,804 | $54,503 | $420,133 | 38.0% |
| 93 | Chehalis | 87.67 | 7,587 | $73,702 | $478,650 | 27.0% |
| 94 | Port Angeles | 88.50 | 20,118 | $62,606 | $450,576 | 30.0% |
| 95 | Sedro-Woolley | 88.67 | 12,831 | $80,885 | $497,458 | 20.0% |
| 96 | East Wenatchee | 89.67 | 14,199 | $77,558 | $510,449 | 20.0% |
| 97 | Quincy | 89.67 | 7,998 | $87,902 | $424,717 | 19.0% |
| 98 | Pasco | 89.83 | 79,575 | $85,586 | $418,088 | 22.0% |
| 99 | Selah | 90.33 | 8,437 | $74,783 | $436,782 | 25.0% |
| 100 | Kennewick | 91.17 | 85,295 | $73,576 | $430,870 | 26.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 122 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in Washington are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in Washington are Mercer Island, Sammamish, Bellevue, Redmond, Bainbridge Island, Snoqualmie, Woodinville, Newcastle, Issaquah, and Kirkland. Not sold on Washington? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
