Before you decide to relocate to Washington, it’s important to research the exact cost of living around the state. And that’s what we’re going to help you do.
These are the places in Washington that cost a pretty penny — the most expensive cities in the state.
We used Saturday Night Science to compare the 2018-2022 American Community Survey on cost of living for the 119 places in Washington with more than 5,000 people.
After we saved up for months and could finally afford it, we landed on this list of the ten most expensive cities in Washington for 2024.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Washington For 2024
What’s the most expensive place to live in Washington? Well, HomeSnacks crunched the numbers and discovered that Mercer Island is the most expensive place to live in Washington.
Toppenish (the cheapest place to live in Washington) can show these guys how to live on a budget in the coming years. Read on for how these places had costs rise faster than inflation.
And if you already knew these places were expensive, check out some more reading about Washington and the most expensive cities in the country:
The 10 Most Expensive Places To Live In Washington For 2024
/10
Population: 25,464
Cost Of Living Index: 216
Median Income: $190,985
Average Home Price: $2,093,811
Home Price To Income Ratio: 11.0x
More on Mercer Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Mercer Island is 216. The median income in Mercer Island comes in at $190,985 and the average home value is $2,093,811 for 2024.
/10
Population: 66,586
Cost Of Living Index: 179
Median Income: $215,047
Average Home Price: $1,457,780
Home Price To Income Ratio: 6.8x
More on Sammamish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Sammamish is 179. The median income in Sammamish comes in at $215,047 and the average home value is $1,457,780 for 2024.
/10
Population: 150,606
Cost Of Living Index: 175
Median Income: $149,551
Average Home Price: $1,314,283
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.8x
More on Bellevue: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Bellevue is 175. The median income in Bellevue comes in at $149,551 and the average home value is $1,314,283 for 2024.
/10
Population: 12,931
Cost Of Living Index: 166
Median Income: $151,007
Average Home Price: $1,200,663
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.0x
More on Newcastle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Newcastle is 166. The median income in Newcastle comes in at $151,007 and the average home value is $1,200,663 for 2024.
/10
Population: 24,681
Cost Of Living Index: 165
Median Income: $151,290
Average Home Price: $1,164,814
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.7x
More on Bainbridge Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Bainbridge Island is 165. The median income in Bainbridge Island comes in at $151,290 and the average home value is $1,164,814 for 2024.
/10
Population: 73,728
Cost Of Living Index: 164
Median Income: $155,287
Average Home Price: $1,239,503
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.0x
More on Redmond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Redmond is 164. The median income in Redmond comes in at $155,287 and the average home value is $1,239,503 for 2024.
/10
Population: 13,762
Cost Of Living Index: 159
Median Income: $186,353
Average Home Price: $994,921
Home Price To Income Ratio: 5.3x
More on Snoqualmie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Snoqualmie is 159. The median income in Snoqualmie comes in at $186,353 and the average home value is $994,921 for 2024.
/10
Population: 92,015
Cost Of Living Index: 158
Median Income: $135,608
Average Home Price: $1,101,852
Home Price To Income Ratio: 8.1x
More on Kirkland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Kirkland is 158. The median income in Kirkland comes in at $135,608 and the average home value is $1,101,852 for 2024.
/10
Population: 734,603
Cost Of Living Index: 156
Median Income: $116,068
Average Home Price: $827,235
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.1x
More on Seattle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Seattle is 156. The median income in Seattle comes in at $116,068 and the average home value is $827,235 for 2024.
/10
Population: 39,400
Cost Of Living Index: 155
Median Income: $143,006
Average Home Price: $1,042,395
Home Price To Income Ratio: 7.3x
More on Issaquah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
The overall cost of living in Issaquah is 155. The median income in Issaquah comes in at $143,006 and the average home value is $1,042,395 for 2024.
Methodology: How We Determined The Most Expensive Places To Live In The Evergreen State For 2024
The two most important things to think about when it comes to being able to afford a city in Washington are:
- How much money do I make?
- How much do I have to spend to live there?
You need to understand your costs in the context of how much money you make.
For example, if the median household earns $100,000 and spends $40,000 on housing, it’s actually cheaper to live there than a place with a median income of $50,000 and housing costs of $21,000. You might spend more on housing, but you have more money overall to play with.
With that example in mind, we derived several statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 around incomes and costs. They are:
- Overall Cost Of Living Index
- Median Home Price / Median Income (lower is better)
- Median Income / Median Rent (Higher is better)
- Median Home Price
You can then compare these metrics in each of the places in Washington to figure out which is the most expensive.
You are left with a “Cost of Living Index” by taking the average rank of each of these metrics for each city.
So we used that cost of living index to rank all of the 119 places in Washington that have more than 5,000 people.
The place with the highest cost of living in Washington according to the data is Mercer Island. We updated this article for 2024. This article is our tenth time ranking the most expensive places to live in Washington.
Summary: Taking A Chunk Out Of Your Paycheck In Washington For 2024
Well, there you have it, the places in Washington that have the highest cost of living, with Mercer Island ranking as the most expensive city in the Evergreen State.
The most expensive cities in Washington are Mercer Island, Sammamish, Bellevue, Newcastle, Bainbridge Island, Redmond, Snoqualmie, Kirkland, Seattle, and Issaquah.
Here’s a look at the most affordable cities in Washington according to the data:
- Toppenish
- Grandview
- Prosser
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Most Dangerous Cities In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
Most Expensive Cities In Washington
| Rank | City | Cost Of Living | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | Home/Income Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer Island | 216 | 25,464 | $190,985 | $2,093,811 | 11.0x |
| 2 | Sammamish | 179 | 66,586 | $215,047 | $1,457,780 | 6.8x |
| 3 | Bellevue | 175 | 150,606 | $149,551 | $1,314,283 | 8.8x |
| 4 | Newcastle | 166 | 12,931 | $151,007 | $1,200,663 | 8.0x |
| 5 | Bainbridge Island | 165 | 24,681 | $151,290 | $1,164,814 | 7.7x |
| 6 | Redmond | 164 | 73,728 | $155,287 | $1,239,503 | 8.0x |
| 7 | Snoqualmie | 159 | 13,762 | $186,353 | $994,921 | 5.3x |
| 8 | Kirkland | 158 | 92,015 | $135,608 | $1,101,852 | 8.1x |
| 9 | Seattle | 156 | 734,603 | $116,068 | $827,235 | 7.1x |
| 10 | Issaquah | 155 | 39,400 | $143,006 | $1,042,395 | 7.3x |
| 11 | Mukilteo | 155 | 21,365 | $123,036 | $867,388 | 7.0x |
| 12 | Woodinville | 155 | 13,301 | $142,500 | $1,223,130 | 8.6x |
| 13 | Lake Forest Park | 154 | 13,462 | $152,010 | $942,509 | 6.2x |
| 14 | Mill Creek | 151 | 20,797 | $118,276 | $915,277 | 7.7x |
| 15 | Normandy Park | 150 | 6,697 | $122,467 | $960,307 | 7.8x |
| 16 | Duvall | 149 | 8,128 | $168,663 | $899,922 | 5.3x |
| 17 | Edmonds | 147 | 42,705 | $110,057 | $846,640 | 7.7x |
| 18 | Kenmore | 147 | 23,611 | $132,191 | $940,684 | 7.1x |
| 19 | North Bend | 146 | 7,549 | $171,078 | $908,488 | 5.3x |
| 20 | Brier | 144 | 6,539 | $141,200 | $907,268 | 6.4x |
| 21 | Bothell | 143 | 47,917 | $127,944 | $954,899 | 7.5x |
| 22 | Shoreline | 141 | 58,673 | $106,184 | $761,022 | 7.2x |
| 23 | Renton | 134 | 105,355 | $92,292 | $700,607 | 7.6x |
| 24 | Maple Valley | 134 | 27,889 | $137,595 | $750,316 | 5.5x |
| 25 | Lake Stevens | 133 | 38,816 | $111,821 | $656,462 | 5.9x |
| 26 | Gig Harbor | 133 | 11,917 | $103,688 | $758,110 | 7.3x |
| 27 | Lynnwood | 132 | 39,867 | $72,241 | $722,260 | 10.0x |
| 28 | Mountlake Terrace | 131 | 21,350 | $96,104 | $634,570 | 6.6x |
| 29 | Snohomish | 131 | 10,133 | $81,731 | $872,921 | 10.7x |
| 30 | Burien | 130 | 51,505 | $84,583 | $605,886 | 7.2x |
| 31 | Covington | 130 | 20,814 | $123,065 | $614,981 | 5.0x |
| 32 | Monroe | 130 | 19,632 | $99,713 | $660,014 | 6.6x |
| 33 | Edgewood | 130 | 12,397 | $115,325 | $673,664 | 5.8x |
| 34 | DuPont | 130 | 9,955 | $106,695 | $564,984 | 5.3x |
| 35 | Port Orchard | 128 | 15,820 | $82,650 | $506,119 | 6.1x |
| 36 | Poulsbo | 128 | 11,824 | $89,393 | $619,283 | 6.9x |
| 37 | Bonney Lake | 126 | 22,590 | $123,462 | $637,988 | 5.2x |
| 38 | Black Diamond | 126 | 5,314 | $134,076 | $730,492 | 5.4x |
| 39 | University Place | 125 | 34,696 | $89,658 | $621,099 | 6.9x |
| 40 | SeaTac | 125 | 30,927 | $79,433 | $538,091 | 6.8x |
| 41 | Camas | 125 | 26,387 | $133,829 | $713,685 | 5.3x |
| 42 | Ridgefield | 125 | 11,486 | $107,308 | $645,057 | 6.0x |
| 43 | Sultan | 125 | 5,462 | $79,084 | $523,936 | 6.6x |
| 44 | Everett | 124 | 110,847 | $77,806 | $618,504 | 7.9x |
| 45 | Anacortes | 124 | 17,667 | $86,911 | $694,105 | 8.0x |
| 46 | Steilacoom | 124 | 6,680 | $94,708 | $592,049 | 6.3x |
| 47 | Puyallup | 123 | 42,610 | $90,592 | $540,014 | 6.0x |
| 48 | Port Townsend | 123 | 10,161 | $59,193 | $616,806 | 10.4x |
| 49 | Fircrest | 123 | 7,098 | $99,032 | $587,271 | 5.9x |
| 50 | Federal Way | 122 | 99,614 | $80,360 | $558,348 | 6.9x |
| 51 | Des Moines | 122 | 32,667 | $81,362 | $564,875 | 6.9x |
| 52 | Lynden | 122 | 15,723 | $86,175 | $574,354 | 6.7x |
| 53 | Blaine | 122 | 5,865 | $78,633 | $511,525 | 6.5x |
| 54 | Kent | 120 | 135,169 | $86,966 | $603,965 | 6.9x |
| 55 | Bellingham | 120 | 91,353 | $64,026 | $630,615 | 9.8x |
| 56 | Fife | 120 | 10,887 | $84,538 | $530,444 | 6.3x |
| 57 | Sumner | 119 | 10,589 | $83,285 | $540,052 | 6.5x |
| 58 | Bremerton | 118 | 43,983 | $68,556 | $451,154 | 6.6x |
| 59 | Arlington | 118 | 20,263 | $89,587 | $601,820 | 6.7x |
| 60 | Orting | 118 | 8,898 | $114,458 | $531,870 | 4.6x |
| 61 | Milton | 118 | 8,543 | $90,372 | $535,284 | 5.9x |
| 62 | Auburn | 117 | 85,623 | $87,406 | $570,116 | 6.5x |
| 63 | Enumclaw | 117 | 12,630 | $110,789 | $605,326 | 5.5x |
| 64 | Buckley | 117 | 5,191 | $120,707 | $594,115 | 4.9x |
| 65 | Oak Harbor | 116 | 24,458 | $68,039 | $484,194 | 7.1x |
| 66 | Washougal | 116 | 16,828 | $97,295 | $584,262 | 6.0x |
| 67 | Ferndale | 116 | 15,130 | $82,466 | $582,368 | 7.1x |
| 68 | Stanwood | 116 | 8,051 | $85,357 | $657,147 | 7.7x |
| 69 | Marysville | 115 | 70,847 | $98,288 | $570,905 | 5.8x |
| 70 | Pacific | 115 | 7,097 | $98,148 | $521,184 | 5.3x |
| 71 | Lakewood | 114 | 63,142 | $65,531 | $476,344 | 7.3x |
| 72 | Tumwater | 114 | 25,617 | $84,177 | $479,190 | 5.7x |
| 73 | Tacoma | 113 | 219,234 | $79,085 | $463,801 | 5.9x |
| 74 | Vancouver | 113 | 190,700 | $73,626 | $487,468 | 6.6x |
| 75 | Lacey | 113 | 56,263 | $79,874 | $469,149 | 5.9x |
| 76 | Olympia | 113 | 55,151 | $73,851 | $506,104 | 6.9x |
| 77 | Mount Vernon | 112 | 35,120 | $69,227 | $538,340 | 7.8x |
| 78 | Liberty Lake | 112 | 12,026 | $101,936 | $558,815 | 5.5x |
| 79 | Sedro-Woolley | 110 | 12,470 | $72,281 | $438,316 | 6.1x |
| 80 | Yelm | 110 | 10,438 | $88,818 | $449,840 | 5.1x |
| 81 | Sequim | 110 | 8,073 | $48,015 | $554,317 | 11.5x |
| 82 | Battle Ground | 109 | 20,888 | $94,360 | $574,680 | 6.1x |
| 83 | Woodland | 109 | 6,463 | $78,870 | $547,514 | 6.9x |
| 84 | Port Angeles | 108 | 20,007 | $60,212 | $428,897 | 7.1x |
| 85 | Burlington | 108 | 9,361 | $68,737 | $494,110 | 7.2x |
| 86 | Ocean Shores | 107 | 6,838 | $54,435 | $354,909 | 6.5x |
| 87 | Pullman | 106 | 31,972 | $41,479 | $421,064 | 10.2x |
| 88 | Chehalis | 106 | 7,512 | $61,378 | $456,110 | 7.4x |
| 89 | Richland | 104 | 60,867 | $89,283 | $450,032 | 5.0x |
| 90 | Wenatchee | 104 | 35,365 | $66,143 | $460,521 | 7.0x |
| 91 | Ellensburg | 104 | 19,003 | $53,730 | $453,476 | 8.4x |
| 92 | East Wenatchee | 104 | 14,065 | $78,312 | $473,254 | 6.0x |
| 93 | Centralia | 103 | 18,234 | $50,422 | $370,647 | 7.4x |
| 94 | Longview | 102 | 37,722 | $57,920 | $368,668 | 6.4x |
| 95 | West Richland | 102 | 16,547 | $118,093 | $484,391 | 4.1x |
| 96 | Shelton | 101 | 10,484 | $57,907 | $406,252 | 7.0x |
| 97 | Selah | 101 | 8,203 | $66,843 | $411,893 | 6.2x |
| 98 | Spokane Valley | 100 | 103,761 | $66,483 | $390,629 | 5.9x |
| 99 | Aberdeen | 100 | 16,969 | $50,008 | $260,991 | 5.2x |
| 100 | Cheney | 100 | 12,848 | $45,419 | $410,663 | 9.0x |