You might have to win the Washington lottery to live in The Evergreen State’s wealthiest places.
Now, if you’ve never been lucky, you might want to listen up if you’re thinking about calling one of Washington’s richest places home. We believe that you can increase your luck if you take a look at our list of the top ten richest cities in this Pacific Northwest Paradise for 2024.
But first, here’s some insight into how we identified the top ten. To determine Washington’s richest places, we looked at home prices and incomes from the Zillow and the Census for 142 Washington cities with more than 3,000 residents. If you live in the greater Seattle and Tacoma areas, you are Washington’s one percent. Don’t be surprised to rub elbows with the Joneses.
But, if you don’t live where wealthy Washingtonians are ‘rolling in the dough,’ you’ll need to find a job that makes at least $142,500/year. And currently, the highest-paying jobs are in healthcare and aviation.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Richest Places In Washington For 2024
What is Washington’s richest place for 2024? Washington’s richest place is Clyde Hill.
Want to know more about where Washington’s finest live who only drink the cleanest Crystal Springs Water from Kent and only wear the Eddie Bauer brand out of Bellevue? Keep reading.
Rich people not your cup of tea? Feel free to check out some more reading about Washington:
The 10 Richest Cities In Washington For 2024
1. Clyde Hill
/10
2. Sammamish
/10
Population: 66,586
Median Income: $215,047
Median Home Values: $1,457,780
More on Sammamish: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
3. Mercer Island
/10
Population: 25,464
Median Income: $190,985
Median Home Values: $2,093,811
More on Mercer Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
4. Redmond
/10
Population: 73,728
Median Income: $155,287
Median Home Values: $1,239,503
More on Redmond: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
5. Bellevue
/10
Population: 150,606
Median Income: $149,551
Median Home Values: $1,314,283
More on Bellevue: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
6. Snoqualmie
/10
Population: 13,762
Median Income: $186,353
Median Home Values: $994,921
More on Snoqualmie: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
7. Bainbridge Island
/10
Population: 24,681
Median Income: $151,290
Median Home Values: $1,164,814
More on Bainbridge Island: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
8. Newcastle
/10
Population: 12,931
Median Income: $151,007
Median Home Values: $1,200,663
More on Newcastle: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
9. Woodinville
/10
Population: 13,301
Median Income: $142,500
Median Home Values: $1,223,130
More on Woodinville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
10. Issaquah
/10
Population: 39,400
Median Income: $143,006
Median Home Values: $1,042,395
More on Issaquah: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Methodology: How We Determined The Richest Places In Washington For 2024
The first thing that comes to most people’s minds when they think about determining the richest places is simply identifying personal incomes. After all, rich people have really high salaries.
However, we don’t believe that one statistic wholly encompasses what it means to be one of the “richest places.” So we looked at this set of criteria from the newly released 2018-2022 American Community Survey and applied Saturday Night Science:
- Median Home Values
- Median Household Income
Median household income is the most digestible way to understand how rich a place is. And home values are a measure of wealth. The two combine to define a “Rich City.”
After we collected the data for all 142 places with more than 3,000 people in Washington, we ranked each place from 1 to 142 for each of the criteria, with 1 being the richest.
We then averaged all the rankings for a place into a “Rich Score,” with the place having the lowest overall Rich Score, Clyde Hill, crowned the “Richest City In Washington For 2024.”
The data has been updated for 2024. This is our tenth time ranking the wealthiest cities in Washington.
You can skip to the end to see the rankings for all 142 places.
Summary: The Wealthiest Places In Washington For 2024
Like we said earlier, when we set out to identify the richest places in Washington, we weren’t sure what we’d encounter, but it ended up being some of the best places to live in Washington.
The richest cities in Washington are Clyde Hill, Sammamish, Mercer Island, Redmond, Bellevue, Snoqualmie, Bainbridge Island, Newcastle, Woodinville, and Issaquah.
When you look at the data, the cities and places mentioned above meet the criteria for being at the very top of the income ladder for everyone that lives there.
If you’re curious enough, here are the poorest cities in Washington, according to data:
Poorest: Hoquiam
2nd Poorest: Goldendale
3rd Poorest: Wapato
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
Detailed List Of The Richest Cities In Washington
| Rank | City | RichScore | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clyde Hill | 1.0 | $250,001 | $3,898,869 |
| 2 | Sammamish | 2.5 | $215,047 | $1,457,780 |
| 3 | Mercer Island | 2.5 | $190,985 | $2,093,811 |
| 4 | Redmond | 6.0 | $155,287 | $1,239,503 |
| 5 | Bellevue | 7.5 | $149,551 | $1,314,283 |
| 6 | Snoqualmie | 7.5 | $186,353 | $994,921 |
| 7 | Bainbridge Island | 8.5 | $151,290 | $1,164,814 |
| 8 | Newcastle | 8.5 | $151,007 | $1,200,663 |
| 9 | Woodinville | 9.5 | $142,500 | $1,223,130 |
| 10 | Issaquah | 11.0 | $143,006 | $1,042,395 |
| 11 | North Bend | 11.0 | $171,078 | $908,488 |
| 12 | Lake Forest Park | 11.0 | $152,010 | $942,509 |
| 13 | Kirkland | 12.5 | $135,608 | $1,101,852 |
| 14 | Duvall | 12.5 | $168,663 | $899,922 |
| 15 | Brier | 16.0 | $141,200 | $907,268 |
| 16 | Bothell | 16.5 | $127,944 | $954,899 |
| 17 | Kenmore | 17.0 | $132,191 | $940,684 |
| 18 | Normandy Park | 18.0 | $122,467 | $960,307 |
| 19 | Maple Valley | 20.5 | $137,595 | $750,316 |
| 20 | Mill Creek | 21.0 | $118,276 | $915,277 |
| 21 | Mukilteo | 22.0 | $123,036 | $867,388 |
| 22 | Black Diamond | 22.0 | $134,076 | $730,492 |
| 23 | Camas | 23.5 | $133,829 | $713,685 |
| 24 | Seattle | 25.5 | $116,068 | $827,235 |
| 25 | Edmonds | 28.0 | $110,057 | $846,640 |
| 26 | Bonney Lake | 29.0 | $123,462 | $637,988 |
| 27 | Edgewood | 30.5 | $115,325 | $673,664 |
| 28 | Shoreline | 30.5 | $106,184 | $761,022 |
| 29 | Gig Harbor | 32.0 | $103,688 | $758,110 |
| 30 | Covington | 33.5 | $123,065 | $614,981 |
| 31 | Lake Stevens | 33.5 | $111,821 | $656,462 |
| 32 | Ridgefield | 35.5 | $107,308 | $645,057 |
| 33 | La Center | 35.5 | $112,758 | $627,222 |
| 34 | Monroe | 37.0 | $99,713 | $660,014 |
| 35 | Buckley | 37.5 | $120,707 | $594,115 |
| 36 | Renton | 39.5 | $92,292 | $700,607 |
| 37 | Enumclaw | 40.0 | $110,789 | $605,326 |
| 38 | Mountlake Terrace | 42.0 | $96,104 | $634,570 |
| 39 | Snohomish | 44.5 | $81,731 | $872,921 |
| 40 | Anacortes | 45.5 | $86,911 | $694,105 |
| 41 | University Place | 46.5 | $89,658 | $621,099 |
| 42 | Fircrest | 47.0 | $99,032 | $587,271 |
| 43 | Dupont | 47.5 | $106,695 | $564,984 |
| 44 | Stanwood | 48.0 | $85,357 | $657,147 |
| 45 | Poulsbo | 48.0 | $89,393 | $619,283 |
| 46 | Steilacoom | 49.0 | $94,708 | $592,049 |
| 47 | Washougal | 49.0 | $97,295 | $584,262 |
| 48 | Marysville | 50.0 | $98,288 | $570,905 |
| 49 | Liberty Lake | 50.5 | $101,936 | $558,815 |
| 50 | Orting | 51.0 | $114,458 | $531,870 |
| 51 | Arlington | 51.0 | $89,587 | $601,820 |
| 52 | Battle Ground | 51.5 | $94,360 | $574,680 |
| 53 | Kent | 53.5 | $86,966 | $603,965 |
| 54 | West Richland | 54.5 | $118,093 | $484,391 |
| 55 | Burien | 54.5 | $84,583 | $605,886 |
| 56 | Lynnwood | 58.0 | $72,241 | $722,260 |
| 57 | Auburn | 58.0 | $87,406 | $570,116 |
| 58 | Puyallup | 58.0 | $90,592 | $540,014 |
| 59 | Lynden | 58.5 | $86,175 | $574,354 |
| 60 | Pacific | 59.5 | $98,148 | $521,184 |
| 61 | Milton | 60.5 | $90,372 | $535,284 |
| 62 | Ferndale | 61.0 | $82,466 | $582,368 |
| 63 | Everett | 61.5 | $77,806 | $618,504 |
| 64 | Granite Falls | 63.0 | $87,600 | $536,809 |
| 65 | Des Moines | 65.5 | $81,362 | $564,875 |
| 66 | Sumner | 65.5 | $83,285 | $540,052 |
| 67 | Federal Way | 67.0 | $80,360 | $558,348 |
| 68 | Fife | 68.5 | $84,538 | $530,444 |
| 69 | Woodland | 70.5 | $78,870 | $547,514 |
| 70 | Seatac | 71.0 | $79,433 | $538,091 |
| 71 | Port Orchard | 72.0 | $82,650 | $506,119 |
| 72 | Bellingham | 72.0 | $64,026 | $630,615 |
| 73 | Tumwater | 74.5 | $84,177 | $479,190 |
| 74 | Sultan | 75.0 | $79,084 | $523,936 |
| 75 | Algona | 75.0 | $81,474 | $490,301 |
| 76 | Richland | 75.5 | $89,283 | $450,032 |
| 77 | Moxee | 75.5 | $104,205 | $374,826 |
| 78 | Tukwila | 76.0 | $76,331 | $535,251 |
| 79 | Yelm | 76.5 | $88,818 | $449,840 |
| 80 | Blaine | 77.0 | $78,633 | $511,525 |
| 81 | Mount Vernon | 79.5 | $69,227 | $538,340 |
| 82 | Port Townsend | 79.5 | $59,193 | $616,806 |
| 83 | Lacey | 80.5 | $79,874 | $469,149 |
| 84 | Olympia | 81.0 | $73,851 | $506,104 |
| 85 | Tacoma | 82.0 | $79,085 | $463,801 |
| 86 | East Wenatchee | 82.5 | $78,312 | $473,254 |
| 87 | Vancouver | 83.0 | $73,626 | $487,468 |
| 88 | Burlington | 86.0 | $68,737 | $494,110 |
| 89 | Chelan | 87.5 | $75,099 | $459,333 |
| 90 | Oak Harbor | 89.5 | $68,039 | $484,194 |
| 91 | Sedro-Woolley | 92.5 | $72,281 | $438,316 |
| 92 | Lakewood | 93.0 | $65,531 | $476,344 |
| 93 | Bremerton | 95.0 | $68,556 | $451,154 |
| 94 | Pasco | 95.0 | $75,316 | $402,116 |
| 95 | Wenatchee | 95.5 | $66,143 | $460,521 |
| 96 | Quincy | 96.0 | $69,628 | $422,190 |
| 97 | Medical Lake | 96.5 | $73,456 | $405,200 |
| 98 | Kennewick | 97.0 | $70,429 | $408,524 |
| 99 | Cashmere | 99.0 | $60,597 | $470,031 |
| 100 | Sequim | 99.0 | $48,015 | $554,317 |