Best Counties in Washington — 2026 Rankings
39 of 39 counties scored across 12 dimensions
39
39 scored
44/100
composite score
71.7/100
30.4—71.7
lowest to highest
State Overview
Understanding County Scores in Washington
Washington Sits Below the National Livability Median
Washington earns an average composite score of 44.1, trailing the national median of 50.0 despite its economic reputation. All 39 counties are represented in this data, reflecting a state where high earning potential often struggles to keep pace with environmental and cost pressures.
Strong Salaries and Health Outcomes Drive Appeal
The state excels with a high income score of 70.5 and a healthy lifestyle score of 64.9. Furthermore, Washington's lack of a state income tax helps it maintain a solid tax score of 57.5, providing a financial edge for high-earning households.
High Costs and Environmental Risks Impact Rankings
Affordability is a major headwind, as indicated by a low cost score of 24.2 that makes it difficult for many residents to thrive. The state also faces a risk score of 30.0, reflecting vulnerability to natural hazards that sits well below the national average for stability.
Rural Counties Outperform Major Metro Areas
Wahkiakum County leads the state with a 69.1 composite score, followed by Lincoln at 60.9 and Ferry at 58.0. These areas maintain high livability by offering significantly better cost-of-living scores than urban hubs like Pierce County, which scores a mere 3.1 for affordability.
A High-Octane Choice for Strategic Earners
Washington is best suited for career-oriented individuals who can maximize the state's 70.5 income score to overcome its high entry costs. It offers a premium lifestyle for those who value health and economic opportunity over absolute affordability and environmental predictability.
All County Rankings in Washington
Search, sort, and filter all 39 ranked counties
Showing 1–25 of 39 counties
| Rank | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wahkiakum County | 71.7 | 71.8 | 62.5 | 41.7 | 81.2 | 68.7 | 84.5 | 80.8 | 86 | 70.1 | 19.4 | ||
| 2 | Lincoln County | 60.6 | 73 | 53.5 | 65.5 | 44 | 68.3 | 74 | 45.1 | 86 | 39.5 | 69.5 | 40.1 | |
| 3 | Ferry County | 58.5 | 67.9 | 80.7 | 22.7 | 76.4 | 39.4 | 44.4 | 48.4 | 2 | 38.5 | 27.3 | ||
| 4 | Skamania County | 58 | 64 | 18.8 | 92.1 | 70.9 | 82.5 | 55.1 | 50.3 | 54 | 53.5 | 31.6 | ||
| 5 | Stevens County | 56.3 | 73.5 | 45.8 | 60.2 | 72 | 65.3 | 33.6 | 39.7 | 40.7 | 34.5 | 74.5 | 35.5 | |
| 6 | San Juan County | 55.8 | 80.6 | 8.7 | 86.4 | 68.5 | 79.7 | 48.2 | 64.7 | 4.1 | 68.6 | 72.1 | 43.5 | |
| 7 | Pend Oreille County | 54 | 74.4 | 48.3 | 55.8 | 34 | 53.8 | 59.1 | 72 | 86 | 40.5 | 37.3 | ||
| 8 | Klickitat County | 52.3 | 69.4 | 26.1 | 64.2 | 61.6 | 63.2 | 51.7 | 26.1 | 53.5 | 43.4 | 38.4 | ||
| 9 | Garfield County | 51.9 | 65.2 | 63.8 | 47.7 | 8 | 73.8 | 59.8 | 98.4 | 3.6 | 44.8 | 29 | ||
| 10 | Island County | 50.9 | 63.2 | 5.8 | 90.9 | 52.3 | 88.8 | 58 | 22 | 8.2 | 69.5 | 76.1 | 41 | |
| 11 | Whitman County | 49.3 | 55.2 | 21.8 | 22.3 | 48.2 | 70.1 | 61.2 | 60.3 | 86 | 42.6 | 79 | 42.5 | |
| 12 | Jefferson County | 47.9 | 58.7 | 15.8 | 71.2 | 27.5 | 82.1 | 57.3 | 35.6 | 86 | 67.6 | 48.4 | ||
| 13 | Okanogan County | 46.5 | 54.1 | 51.2 | 43.6 | 50.1 | 32.8 | 52.9 | 10.8 | 49.7 | 38.8 | 28 | ||
| 14 | Pacific County | 46.4 | 58.5 | 37.2 | 54.6 | 42.8 | 52.5 | 41.5 | 7.3 | 86 | 65.2 | 40.4 | ||
| 15 | Douglas County | 44.9 | 53.7 | 16.1 | 81.8 | 34.6 | 57.8 | 60.8 | 25.9 | 86 | 39.1 | 52 | 41.5 | |
| 16 | Columbia County | 44.5 | 46.8 | 36.8 | 66.3 | 14.3 | 64.5 | 44.5 | 91.5 | 86 | 46 | 33.5 | ||
| 17 | Asotin County | 44 | 58.3 | 32.4 | 67.3 | 12.5 | 68.1 | 39.6 | 82.1 | 86 | 46.8 | 9.3 | ||
| 18 | Snohomish County | 41.6 | 53.2 | 1.9 | 97.2 | 15.6 | 83.5 | 54.1 | 2.1 | 86 | 64.5 | 40.8 | ||
| 19 | Chelan County | 41.4 | 58.5 | 16 | 84.2 | 26.2 | 59.3 | 49.8 | 9.1 | 68 | 41.4 | 34.5 | ||
| 20 | Kittitas County | 41.2 | 58.6 | 10.1 | 70.5 | 16.8 | 75.3 | 56.4 | 10.9 | 66.4 | 44.8 | 39.2 | ||
| 21 | Clallam County | 40.1 | 57.8 | 23.9 | 62.7 | 14.9 | 66.1 | 42.6 | 10.3 | 63 | 64 | 40.8 | ||
| 22 | Kitsap County | 40.1 | 53.2 | 3.5 | 95.9 | 7 | 86 | 52.3 | 7.7 | 67.5 | 70.5 | 47.7 | ||
| 23 | Mason County | 40 | 57.2 | 13.4 | 84.9 | 22.1 | 56.6 | 48.2 | 14.7 | 62.2 | 65.5 | 40.9 | ||
| 24 | King County | 39.1 | 48.2 | 0.8 | 98.6 | 2.1 | 94.5 | 53.8 | 0.3 | 71.1 | 67.6 | 35.6 | ||
| 25 | Clark County | 38.1 | 49 | 4.3 | 94 | 4.6 | 83.9 | 49.4 | 7.8 | 69.5 | 62 | 54 | 52.9 |
Wahkiakum County
Lincoln County
Ferry County
Skamania County
Stevens County
San Juan County
Pend Oreille County
Klickitat County
Garfield County
Island County
Whitman County
Jefferson County
Okanogan County
Pacific County
Douglas County
Columbia County
Asotin County
Snohomish County
Chelan County
Kittitas County
Clallam County
Kitsap County
Mason County
King County
Clark County
Frequently Asked Questions about Counties in Washington
Common questions about county rankings and scores in Washington.
What is the best county in Washington?
Wahkiakum County is the top-ranked county in Washington with a CountyScore of 71.7/100. It leads the state across the available scoring dimensions, which include Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate.
How many counties are ranked in Washington?
Washington has 39 counties in total. Of those, 39 have been ranked with a composite score based on available data dimensions. The remaining 0 counties do not yet have enough data for a full score.
What factors determine a county's score?
Each county is scored 0–100 across up to nine baseline data dimensions: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, and Weather & Climate. The composite score is a weighted average of whichever baseline dimensions have data. Currently available baseline dimensions are: Property Tax, Cost of Living, Income & Jobs, Safety, Health, Schools, Disaster Risk, Water Quality, Weather & Climate. Higher scores are always better — a score of 100 represents the best possible performance for that dimension.
What is the average county score in Washington?
The average composite CountyScore across all ranked counties in Washington is 44/100. The national average is 50/100, so Washington counties score 6 points below the national average.
How does Washington compare to other states?
Washington's average county score of 44/100 is 6 points below the national average of 50/100. You can compare Washington counties to counties in any other state using the county detail pages or the CountyScore compare tool.
Explore County Data by Category
Dive deeper into specific dimensions for counties in Washington.
Best counties in other states
Data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, FBI UCR, CDC, FEMA NRI, NCES, EPA SDWIS, 2019–2023 ACS — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.