The 10 Most Boring Places In Washington For 2026


The most boring places in Washington are Buckley and Connell for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

There’s no denying it: there are plenty of places in Washington that are downright beautiful and full of excitement.

Unfortunately, not all towns and cities in Evergreen State are so lucky.

Just like in all U.S. States, there are definitely some boring places within Washington’s’ borders. You know the places where everyone has an AARP card and the most exciting thing they do all day is post a picture of their grandchild on Facebook.

Like Buckley, for instance. In our latest analysis, we found that this city was the most boring city in all of Oklahoma according to Saturday Night Science. But don’t feel bad if you’re a resident of Buckley. There are plenty of other boring, lackluster places in Washington as well.

Here they are. Try not to jump out of your seat with excitement.


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


The 10 Most Boring Places In Washington

  1. Buckley
  2. Connell
  3. Ocean Shores
  4. Brier
  5. Bainbridge Island
  6. Edgewood
  7. Black Diamond
  8. North Bend
  9. Normandy Park
  10. Omak

Most Boring Places In Washington Map

Don’t freak out, in fact, believe it not, a boring city is actually one a lot of people would like to call home.

Before you get all upset if your city’s name is on the list, rest assured that we didn’t use personal opinion when it comes to what classifies a city or town as “boring” or “exciting”. We crunched actual numbers to figure out which towns are statistically more boring.

Showing this data to you is the kind of thing that a real estate agent knows, but would never share.

For more Washington reading, check out:

The 10 Most Boring Places In Washington For 2026

Buckley, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Steven Pavlov | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

9
/10
Population: 5,371
Average Age: 42.6
% Married: 36.0%
More on Buckley: Data | Crime | Movers

2. Connell

Connell Location In Washington

Connell, WA

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 5,054
Average Age: 39.6
% Married: 17.0%
More on Connell: Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Ocean Shores, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Emily Diehl | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10
Population: 7,302
Average Age: 63.9
% Married: 20.0%
More on Ocean Shores: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Brier, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Elwood j blues | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

10
/10
Population: 6,545
Average Age: 47.4
% Married: 29.0%
More on Brier: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Bainbridge Island, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Casey Yee | CC BY-SA 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10
Population: 24,631
Average Age: 49.0
% Married: 15.0%
More on Bainbridge Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Edgewood, WA

Source: Wikipedia User MyName (Cacophony) | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 13,032
Average Age: 38.8
% Married: 20.0%
More on Edgewood: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Black Diamond, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Joe Mabel | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10
Population: 5,961
Average Age: 38.1
% Married: 19.0%
More on Black Diamond: Data | Crime | Movers

North Bend, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Konrad Roeder | CC BY-SA 2.5
Overall SnackAbility

7
/10
Population: 7,953
Average Age: 39.4
% Married: 21.0%
More on North Bend: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Normandy Park, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Joe Mabel | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

9.5
/10
Population: 6,659
Average Age: 43.4
% Married: 32.0%
More on Normandy Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

10. Omak

Omak, WA

Source: Wikipedia User Lexaxis7 | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 5,036
Average Age: 39.7
% Married: 21.0%
More on Omak: Movers

Methodology: How we determined the boring cities in the Evergreen State

You would present the following case to your friends if you were argueing with them at a bar about the most boring place to live in Washington. And that’s why we call it Saturday Night Science.

Because our data speaks more truth than feelings.

To figure out how boring a place is, we factored in things we generally think make people exciting, and then we figure out which cities have the least number of those exciting people.

We used the U.S. American Community Census data to gather the information presented here. HSome of the things people tend to think of as making a city’s population boring include:

  • % of Population Over 25 (higher is more boring)
  • % of Married Household (higher is more boring)
  • Average Age (higher is more boring)
  • % of Households With Kids (higher is more boring)
  • Population density (lower is more boring)

Then, our algorithm generates a ranking for each place in these categories. After crunching the numbers, all of the cities ranked from most boring to most exciting.

For this ranking, we used every Washington city with at least 5,000 residents. This keeps us from prejudicing our rankings by including very small pockets of retired people.

Grab your rocker and hold on.

We updated this article for 2026, and it’s our eleventh time ranking the most boring cities in Washington.

There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep

On a ranking like this, there are usually no winners, but since Washington isn’t necessarily the most boring state in the United States, the cities on this ranking can at least take solace that there are, in fact, more boring cities in the country.

The most boring cities in Washington are Buckley, Connell, Ocean Shores, Brier, Bainbridge Island, Edgewood, Black Diamond, North Bend, Normandy Park, and Omak.

If you’re also curious enough, here are the most exciting places in Washington, according to science:

  1. Pullman
  2. Cheney
  3. Ellensburg

For more Washington reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Most Boring Cities In Washington For 2026

Rank City Population Average Age % Married % Kids
1 Buckley, WA 5,371 42.6 36.0% 32.6%
2 Connell, WA 5,054 39.6 17.0% 40.0%
3 Ocean Shores, WA 7,302 63.9 20.0% 10.3%
4 Brier, WA 6,545 47.4 29.0% 32.3%
5 Bainbridge Island, WA 24,631 49.0 15.0% 30.1%
6 Edgewood, WA 13,032 38.8 20.0% 37.3%
7 Black Diamond, WA 5,961 38.1 19.0% 38.1%
8 North Bend, WA 7,953 39.4 21.0% 36.0%
9 Normandy Park, WA 6,659 43.4 32.0% 28.3%
10 Omak, WA 5,036 39.7 21.0% 40.3%
11 Anacortes, WA 17,966 50.5 18.0% 23.0%
12 Kelso, WA 12,684 39.9 25.0% 26.8%
13 Poulsbo, WA 12,165 43.3 18.0% 27.9%
14 Sumner, WA 10,733 37.6 21.0% 32.2%
15 Enumclaw, WA 12,798 42.1 28.0% 26.8%
16 Gig Harbor, WA 12,424 46.6 16.0% 24.4%
17 Liberty Lake, WA 12,737 37.1 24.0% 39.5%
18 Snoqualmie, WA 13,798 38.9 18.0% 54.7%
19 West Richland, WA 17,586 35.5 24.0% 44.0%
20 Snohomish, WA 10,239 42.5 20.0% 29.0%
21 Hoquiam, WA 8,800 40.2 17.0% 25.4%
22 Woodinville, WA 13,438 40.8 15.0% 31.2%
23 Sequim, WA 8,161 62.6 12.0% 13.8%
24 Port Townsend, WA 10,438 60.8 13.0% 16.1%
25 Tumwater, WA 26,956 37.1 19.0% 28.5%
26 Bonney Lake, WA 22,090 36.9 27.0% 46.5%
27 Arlington, WA 21,095 36.6 22.0% 36.4%
28 Edmonds, WA 42,735 46.9 21.0% 23.4%
29 Ephrata, WA 8,560 31.9 24.0% 40.9%
30 Port Angeles, WA 20,118 42.6 15.0% 22.3%
31 Camas, WA 27,007 40.7 11.0% 45.2%
32 Blaine, WA 6,100 43.4 11.0% 26.9%
33 Pacific, WA 7,066 38.0 17.0% 44.0%
34 Bothell, WA 49,610 38.6 17.0% 34.2%
35 Ridgefield, WA 13,408 35.7 13.0% 44.0%
36 Spokane Valley, WA 106,365 38.3 20.0% 28.4%
37 Marysville, WA 73,002 38.0 21.0% 33.1%
38 Monroe, WA 19,755 35.7 19.0% 39.0%
39 Orting, WA 8,978 34.1 32.0% 46.2%
40 Sultan, WA 6,116 36.7 11.0% 45.8%
41 Stanwood, WA 8,373 36.3 21.0% 38.5%
42 Lake Forest Park, WA 13,335 42.1 17.0% 27.6%
43 Mercer Island, WA 25,307 46.4 14.0% 32.0%
44 Lynden, WA 16,234 35.2 23.0% 34.2%
45 Shoreline, WA 61,431 42.9 17.0% 27.3%
46 Ferndale, WA 15,999 35.1 16.0% 40.4%
47 Chehalis, WA 7,587 34.7 19.0% 36.0%
48 Mill Creek, WA 20,956 39.3 18.0% 32.3%
49 Woodland, WA 6,487 42.1 17.0% 28.5%
50 Mukilteo, WA 21,323 42.8 16.0% 30.2%
51 Milton, WA 8,894 37.9 20.0% 32.5%
52 Centralia, WA 18,830 39.0 16.0% 26.3%
53 Fircrest, WA 7,069 44.5 18.0% 26.4%
54 University Place, WA 34,911 40.1 19.0% 31.4%
55 Sammamish, WA 66,463 39.9 10.0% 51.1%
56 Covington, WA 21,233 36.4 20.0% 36.0%
57 Washougal, WA 17,490 38.4 12.0% 34.7%
58 Richland, WA 62,753 36.4 17.0% 29.8%
59 Newcastle, WA 12,989 37.5 12.0% 29.9%
60 Moses Lake, WA 26,083 32.3 22.0% 33.2%
61 Lake Stevens, WA 40,253 34.7 21.0% 47.1%
62 Prosser, WA 6,305 33.1 18.0% 40.4%
63 Port Orchard, WA 17,149 35.0 15.0% 34.3%
64 Longview, WA 38,069 40.1 16.0% 27.0%
65 Mount Vernon, WA 35,377 36.0 18.0% 35.0%
66 Olympia, WA 55,951 40.5 12.0% 23.5%
67 East Wenatchee, WA 14,199 35.4 21.0% 46.3%
68 Quincy, WA 7,998 32.6 17.0% 46.1%
69 Puyallup, WA 42,746 36.5 19.0% 29.9%
70 Union Gap, WA 6,584 34.5 16.0% 36.8%
71 Kenmore, WA 23,741 39.1 14.0% 28.8%
72 Maple Valley, WA 28,287 36.7 19.0% 51.3%
73 Issaquah, WA 39,591 37.5 11.0% 29.9%
74 Selah, WA 8,437 33.0 21.0% 32.9%
75 Sedro-Woolley, WA 12,831 34.0 21.0% 35.1%
76 Duvall, WA 8,526 36.0 16.0% 46.9%
77 Burlington, WA 10,003 35.7 15.0% 31.3%
78 Aberdeen, WA 17,088 37.7 16.0% 25.9%
79 Burien, WA 51,513 40.4 13.0% 29.8%
80 Auburn, WA 85,676 36.0 14.0% 34.8%
81 Dupont, WA 9,931 34.3 9.0% 40.4%
82 Steilacoom, WA 6,686 39.8 15.0% 26.0%
83 Airway Heights, WA 11,245 33.1 10.0% 34.0%
84 Yelm, WA 11,102 31.0 12.0% 44.9%
85 Pasco, WA 79,575 30.3 15.0% 48.8%
86 Kirkland, WA 92,621 38.3 13.0% 27.9%
87 Fife, WA 10,949 31.3 12.0% 37.7%
88 Wenatchee, WA 35,484 35.9 21.0% 31.1%
89 Tacoma, WA 222,758 37.2 16.0% 27.2%
90 Mountlake Terrace, WA 23,104 38.3 14.0% 24.3%
91 Bellevue, WA 151,847 38.5 8.0% 29.1%
92 Spokane, WA 230,293 37.2 18.0% 25.9%
93 Des Moines, WA 32,823 38.0 14.0% 30.2%
94 Lacey, WA 57,737 37.3 11.0% 27.2%
95 Tukwila, WA 21,451 35.4 9.0% 27.1%
96 Seatac, WA 32,414 36.8 9.0% 31.5%
97 Kennewick, WA 85,295 35.7 16.0% 32.3%
98 Everett, WA 111,845 37.2 13.0% 26.6%
99 Shelton, WA 10,612 32.5 15.0% 34.1%
100 Othello, WA 8,795 23.2 12.0% 53.5%
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.