If you’re looking for safe cities and neighborhoods, amazing schools, large green spaces, good food, and just overall good family friendly fun, you can stop your search: Washington is one of the most family friendly states in the USA.
Great family friendly Washington cities are around every corner in The Evergreen State. You can have your family at the beach in Kenmore, then to Lake Sammamish in Sammamish, and on to the foothills of The Cascade Range in Wenatchee all in the same day.
You’re in luck parents, some of these family friendly cities have family friendly breweries for that end of the day family friendly fun. We recommend Manfish Brewing in Issaquah: they are both kid and dog friendly. In all seriousness, Washington has some of the best schools in the country. Blue Ribbon elementary schools, gold star high schools with focus in STEM, the Arts, and Aviation, and colleges like University of Washington and Washington State have been delivering the next generation to work at major Washington companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Nordstrom. (This is especially nice for those parents who don’t want their kids to fly the coop for school or work.)
Now don’t count yourselves out of the mix, parents. There are plenty of jobs available in Washington for everyone–they have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. And with a $67,000/year household median, there’s plenty of jobs to keep your family happy, healthy, and having fun. And speaking of healthy, Washington is the number one producer of organic fruits and vegetables, they have some of the freshest fish in the country, and their number one goal is sustainability Their thoughts on food and health in general, are very progressive. They are one of the top states for life expectancy.
So grab the minivan, put on your raincoats, and read on to see more information about the family friendly cities around Washington.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Best Cities To Raise A Family In Washington For 2024
To narrow down the most family friendly cities in Washington, we looked at several factors: crime, education, family friendly activities and percent of households that currently have children. The cities also had to have a population of at least 10,000.
There were 89 said family friendly cities in the largest state in the Pacific Northwest. Without further adieu, the most family friendly city in Washington for 2024 is Camas.
So, if you care about your family living where crime is low, schools are awesome, and a healthy lifestyle is key, take a look at the list below. The Evergreen State is calling.
More reading about Washington and the best places for families in the country:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Best Cities To Raise A Family In America
- Best States To Raise A Family In America
The 10 Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington For 2024
/10
Population: 26,387
Median Income: $133,829
Average Home Price: $713,685
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 51
Closest Major City: Portland
Households with kids: 43.9%
More on Camas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 23,611
Median Income: $132,191
Average Home Price: $940,684
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 46
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 30.2%
More on Kenmore: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 66,586
Median Income: $215,047
Average Home Price: $1,457,780
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 49
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 53.1%
More on Sammamish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 47,917
Median Income: $127,944
Average Home Price: $954,899
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 40
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 35.2%
More on Bothell: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 39,400
Median Income: $143,006
Average Home Price: $1,042,395
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 103
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 31.5%
More on Issaquah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 12,931
Median Income: $151,007
Average Home Price: $1,200,663
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 31
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 32.3%
More on Newcastle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 25,464
Median Income: $190,985
Average Home Price: $2,093,811
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 52
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 34.1%
More on Mercer Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 92,015
Median Income: $135,608
Average Home Price: $1,101,852
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 56
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 29.2%
More on Kirkland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 13,762
Median Income: $186,353
Average Home Price: $994,921
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 36
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 51.4%
More on Snoqualmie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
/10
Population: 24,681
Median Income: $151,290
Average Home Price: $1,164,814
Family Friendly Amenities Score: 43
Closest Major City: Seattle
Households with kids: 30.7%
More on Bainbridge Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in Washington anyways?
To give you the places in Washington that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of Washington, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 10,000 people. For Washington, that meant a total of 89 cities.
We updated this article for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the best cities for families in Washington.
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in Washington ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in Washington are Camas, Kenmore, Sammamish, Bothell, Issaquah, Newcastle, Mercer Island, Kirkland, Snoqualmie, and Bainbridge Island.
Here’s a look at the best cities for singles Washington according to the data:
- Sunnyside
- Centralia
- Shelton
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
Best Places For Families In Washington
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Amenities Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Camas, WA | 26,387 | $133,829 | $713,685 | 58 |
| 2 | Kenmore, WA | 23,611 | $132,191 | $940,684 | 42 |
| 3 | Sammamish, WA | 66,586 | $215,047 | $1,457,780 | 53 |
| 4 | Bothell, WA | 47,917 | $127,944 | $954,899 | 61 |
| 5 | Issaquah, WA | 39,400 | $143,006 | $1,042,395 | 100 |
| 6 | Newcastle, WA | 12,931 | $151,007 | $1,200,663 | 54 |
| 7 | Mercer Island, WA | 25,464 | $190,985 | $2,093,811 | 60 |
| 8 | Kirkland, WA | 92,015 | $135,608 | $1,101,852 | 60 |
| 9 | Snoqualmie, WA | 13,762 | $186,353 | $994,921 | 46 |
| 10 | Bainbridge Island, WA | 24,681 | $151,290 | $1,164,814 | 59 |