You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in Washington.
The median household income in King County, the richest county in Washington is $116,340, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 39 counties in the Evergreen State. Let’s star gaze together.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In Washington For 2024
What is the richest county in Washington? The richest county in Washington is King County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Garfield County, according to the Census 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.
The Richest Counties In Washington For 2024
1. King County
Biggest Place: Seattle
Population: 2,254,371
Median Income: $116,340 (highest)
Median Home Price: $805,240 (2nd highest)
More on King County: Data
2. Snohomish County
Biggest Place: Everett
Population: 828,337
Median Income: $104,083 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $701,862 (3rd highest)
More on Snohomish County: Data
3. Kitsap County
Biggest Place: Bremerton
Population: 275,411
Median Income: $93,675 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $538,014 (8th highest)
More on Kitsap County: Data
4. Pierce County
Biggest Place: Tacoma
Population: 918,993
Median Income: $91,486 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $527,871 (9th highest)
More on Pierce County: Data
5. Island County
Biggest Place: Oak Harbor
Population: 86,510
Median Income: $82,850 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $590,222 (5th highest)
More on Island County: Data
6. Clark County
Biggest Place: Vancouver
Population: 504,091
Median Income: $90,115 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $523,557 (10th highest)
More on Clark County: Data
7. San Juan County
Biggest Place: Friday Harbor
Population: 18,001
Median Income: $76,745 (14th highest)
Median Home Price: $890,333 (highest)
More on San Juan County: Data
8. Skagit County
Biggest Place: Mount Vernon
Population: 129,480
Median Income: $82,029 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $545,355 (7th highest)
More on Skagit County: Data
9. Skamania County
Biggest Place: Carson
Population: 12,118
Median Income: $84,500 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $523,515 (11th highest)
More on Skamania County: Data
10. Whatcom County
Biggest Place: Bellingham
Population: 226,523
Median Income: $77,581 (13th highest)
Median Home Price: $582,171 (6th highest)
More on Whatcom County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which Washington county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in Washington, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. 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 the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in Washington for each of the criteria from one to 39, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In Washington.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Evergreen State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in Washington. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
Summary: The Richest Counties In Washington For 2024
Living in Washington can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in Washington are King County, Snohomish County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, Island County, Clark County, San Juan County, Skagit County, Skamania County, and Whatcom County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in Washington according to the data:
- Garfield County
- Ferry County
- Okanogan County
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Best Counties To Live In Washington
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In Washington
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 2,254,371 | $116,340 | $805,240 |
| 2 | Snohomish County | 828,337 | $104,083 | $701,862 |
| 3 | Kitsap County | 275,411 | $93,675 | $538,014 |
| 4 | Pierce County | 918,993 | $91,486 | $527,871 |
| 5 | Island County | 86,510 | $82,850 | $590,222 |
| 6 | Clark County | 504,091 | $90,115 | $523,557 |
| 7 | San Juan County | 18,001 | $76,745 | $890,333 |
| 8 | Skagit County | 129,480 | $82,029 | $545,355 |
| 9 | Skamania County | 12,118 | $84,500 | $523,515 |
| 10 | Whatcom County | 226,523 | $77,581 | $582,171 |
| 11 | Thurston County | 294,272 | $88,895 | $494,702 |
| 12 | Benton County | 207,560 | $83,778 | $427,351 |
| 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 | Mason County | 66,053 | $74,388 | $440,881 |
| 17 | Kittitas County | 44,424 | $66,800 | $502,217 |
| 18 | Franklin County | 96,692 | $77,877 | $401,516 |
| 19 | Spokane County | 538,711 | $70,394 | $403,365 |
| 20 | Klickitat County | 22,798 | $66,581 | $464,206 |
| 21 | Clallam County | 77,333 | $66,108 | $477,028 |
| 22 | Lewis County | 82,663 | $67,247 | $417,633 |
| 23 | Cowlitz County | 110,621 | $70,912 | $395,160 |
| 24 | Walla Walla County | 62,150 | $66,635 | $397,010 |
| 25 | Grant County | 99,145 | $66,387 | $345,230 |
| 26 | Lincoln County | 11,036 | $68,172 | $302,320 |
| 27 | Columbia County | 3,980 | $68,825 | $277,144 |
| 28 | Wahkiakum County | 4,476 | $59,167 | $392,952 |
| 29 | Yakima County | 256,143 | $64,910 | $327,198 |
| 30 | Stevens County | 46,774 | $62,381 | $365,007 |
| 31 | Pend Oreille County | 13,570 | $59,353 | $364,851 |
| 32 | Asotin County | 22,370 | $63,724 | $305,217 |
| 33 | Whitman County | 47,141 | $49,345 | $371,759 |
| 34 | Pacific County | 23,396 | $58,889 | $333,211 |
| 35 | Adams County | 20,557 | $63,105 | $291,977 |
| 36 | Grays Harbor County | 75,672 | $59,105 | $313,912 |
| 37 | Okanogan County | 42,336 | $58,218 | $300,434 |
| 38 | Ferry County | 7,260 | $50,424 | $279,648 |
| 39 | Garfield County | 2,310 | $57,958 | $232,235 |