Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is Washington a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in Washington.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Evergreen State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of Washington, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 39 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In Washington For 2024
King County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in Washington. And you should avoid Adams County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in Washington. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in Washington and the cheapest places to live in Washington.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In Washington For 2024
1. King County
Biggest Place: Seattle
Population: 2,254,371
Median Income: $116,340 (best)
Median Home Price: $805,240 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (8th best)
More on King County: Data
2. Kitsap County
Biggest Place: Bremerton
Population: 275,411
Median Income: $93,675 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $538,014 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (9th best)
More on Kitsap County: Data
3. Island County
Biggest Place: Oak Harbor
Population: 86,510
Median Income: $82,850 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $590,222 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (20th best)
More on Island County: Data
4. Snohomish County
Biggest Place: Everett
Population: 828,337
Median Income: $104,083 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $701,862 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.4% (7th best)
More on Snohomish County: Data
5. San Juan County
Biggest Place: Friday Harbor
Population: 18,001
Median Income: $76,745 (14th best)
Median Home Price: $890,333 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.2% (best)
More on San Juan County: Data
6. Pierce County
Biggest Place: Tacoma
Population: 918,993
Median Income: $91,486 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $527,871 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (12th best)
More on Pierce County: Data
7. Skamania County
Biggest Place: Carson
Population: 12,118
Median Income: $84,500 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $523,515 (11th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (15th best)
More on Skamania County: Data
8. Clark County
Biggest Place: Vancouver
Population: 504,091
Median Income: $90,115 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $523,557 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.2% (14th best)
More on Clark County: Data
9. Thurston County
Biggest Place: Lacey
Population: 294,272
Median Income: $88,895 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $494,702 (14th best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.5% (2best)
More on Thurston County: Data
10. Whatcom County
Biggest Place: Bellingham
Population: 226,523
Median Income: $77,581 (13th best)
Median Home Price: $582,171 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.9% (11th best)
More on Whatcom County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Washington county is the best?
To give you the best county in Washington, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. 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 two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in Washington across each of the criteria from one to 39, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In Washington.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Evergreen State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in Washington.
Read on to see why King County is the best county, while Adams County is probably in contention for being the worst county in Washington.
Summary: The Best Counties In Washington To Call Home For 2024
Living in Washington can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in Washington are King County, Kitsap County, Island County, Snohomish County, San Juan County, Pierce County, Skamania County, Clark County, Thurston County, and Whatcom County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in Washington according to the data:
- Adams County
- Yakima County
- Okanogan County
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Buy A House In Washington
- Best Counties To Live In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Richest Cities In Washington
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In Washington
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 2,254,371 | $116,340 | $805,240 |
| 2 | Kitsap County | 275,411 | $93,675 | $538,014 |
| 3 | Island County | 86,510 | $82,850 | $590,222 |
| 4 | Snohomish County | 828,337 | $104,083 | $701,862 |
| 5 | San Juan County | 18,001 | $76,745 | $890,333 |
| 6 | Pierce County | 918,993 | $91,486 | $527,871 |
| 7 | Skamania County | 12,118 | $84,500 | $523,515 |
| 8 | Clark County | 504,091 | $90,115 | $523,557 |
| 9 | Thurston County | 294,272 | $88,895 | $494,702 |
| 10 | Whatcom County | 226,523 | $77,581 | $582,171 |
| 11 | Skagit County | 129,480 | $82,029 | $545,355 |
| 12 | Spokane County | 538,711 | $70,394 | $403,365 |
| 13 | Douglas County | 43,189 | $79,422 | $462,026 |
| 14 | Chelan County | 79,076 | $71,876 | $496,629 |
| 15 | Jefferson County | 33,006 | $64,796 | $599,281 |
| 16 | Benton County | 207,560 | $83,778 | $427,351 |
| 17 | Wahkiakum County | 4,476 | $59,167 | $392,952 |
| 18 | Lincoln County | 11,036 | $68,172 | $302,320 |
| 19 | Kittitas County | 44,424 | $66,800 | $502,217 |
| 20 | Clallam County | 77,333 | $66,108 | $477,028 |
| 21 | Cowlitz County | 110,621 | $70,912 | $395,160 |
| 22 | Pacific County | 23,396 | $58,889 | $333,211 |
| 23 | Columbia County | 3,980 | $68,825 | $277,144 |
| 24 | Mason County | 66,053 | $74,388 | $440,881 |
| 25 | Stevens County | 46,774 | $62,381 | $365,007 |
| 26 | Lewis County | 82,663 | $67,247 | $417,633 |
| 27 | Pend Oreille County | 13,570 | $59,353 | $364,851 |
| 28 | Garfield County | 2,310 | $57,958 | $232,235 |
| 29 | Whitman County | 47,141 | $49,345 | $371,759 |
| 30 | Walla Walla County | 62,150 | $66,635 | $397,010 |
| 31 | Franklin County | 96,692 | $77,877 | $401,516 |
| 32 | Asotin County | 22,370 | $63,724 | $305,217 |
| 33 | Klickitat County | 22,798 | $66,581 | $464,206 |
| 34 | Ferry County | 7,260 | $50,424 | $279,648 |
| 35 | Grant County | 99,145 | $66,387 | $345,230 |
| 36 | Grays Harbor County | 75,672 | $59,105 | $313,912 |
| 37 | Okanogan County | 42,336 | $58,218 | $300,434 |
| 38 | Yakima County | 256,143 | $64,910 | $327,198 |
| 39 | Adams County | 20,557 | $63,105 | $291,977 |