countyscore

Best Counties for Retirement in Washington 2026

39 counties ranked with the Retiree lens of the County Fit Score.

Top 5 Retirement Counties in Washington

1Wahkiakum County
70.9
baseline 69.1
2Skamania County
59.9
baseline 57.8
3Lincoln County
59.4
baseline 60.9
4San Juan County
59.2
baseline 55.5
5Stevens County
58.2
baseline 55.1

All 39 Retirement-Ranked Counties in Washington

RankCountyCounty Fit Scorebaseline CountyScoreDelta
1Wahkiakum County, WA70.969.1+1.8
2Skamania County, WA59.957.8+2.1
3Lincoln County, WA59.460.9-1.5
4San Juan County, WA59.255.5+3.7
5Stevens County, WA58.255.1+3.1
6Garfield County, WA56.854.4+2.4
7Ferry County, WA56.758-1.3
8Pend Oreille County, WA5654.7+1.3
9Whitman County, WA54.249.8+4.4
10Klickitat County, WA53.152.7+0.4
11Jefferson County, WA51.948.6+3.3
12Asotin County, WA51.145+6.1
13Island County, WA5150.7+0.3
14Columbia County, WA50.144.8+5.3
15Pacific County, WA46.645.7+0.9
16Douglas County, WA43.545.1-1.6
17Snohomish County, WA42.641.7+0.9
18Kittitas County, WA42.541.8+0.7
19Clallam County, WA42.140.4+1.7
20Okanogan County, WA41.945.9-4
21Kitsap County, WA41.540.1+1.4
22Chelan County, WA40.942-1.1
23King County, WA40.939.5+1.4
24Clark County, WA39.738.2+1.5
25Mason County, WA39.740.1-0.4
26Whatcom County, WA39.538+1.5
27Adams County, WA39.337.4+1.9
28Thurston County, WA38.437.7+0.7
29Skagit County, WA38.337.3+1
30Walla Walla County, WA38.337+1.3
31Spokane County, WA3736.8+0.2
32Lewis County, WA36.437.2-0.8
33Cowlitz County, WA35.936-0.1
34Benton County, WA35.636.8-1.2
35Grays Harbor County, WA34.736.2-1.5
36Pierce County, WA33.633.7-0.1
37Franklin County, WA32.934.4-1.5
38Grant County, WA31.132.8-1.7
39Yakima County, WA27.530.4-2.9

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best county for retirement in Washington?

Based on the Retiree lens, Wahkiakum County ranks as the top retirement county in Washington with a County Fit Score of 70.9. The baseline CountyScore remains visible for context.

How many counties in Washington are ranked for retirement?

We rank 39 counties in Washington with the Retiree lens, using independent importance values for health, safety, taxes, cost, disaster risk, water, and weather.

Also Browse Washington Counties For

FamiliesRemote WorkersBest Overall

Retirement Rankings by State

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareDistrict of ColumbiaFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019-2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.