West ranking
28 Washington cities ranked by cost of living, cheapest first.
Index 89
Index 126
Sorted by cost-of-living index — lowest (most affordable) first.
| # | City | Cost index | Median rent | Median income | Population | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yakima | 89 | $1,014/mo | $55,734 | 97K | Compare → |
| 2 | Kennewick | 98 | $1,113/mo | $70,429 | 84K | Compare → |
| 3 | Pasco | 98 | $1,150/mo | $75,316 | 77K | Compare → |
| 4 | Spokane | 99 | $1,060/mo | $63,316 | 228K | Compare → |
| 5 | Richland | 99 | $1,321/mo | $89,283 | 61K | Compare → |
| 6 | Spokane Valley | 99 | $1,175/mo | $66,483 | 104K | Compare → |
| 7 | Bellingham | 106 | $1,385/mo | $64,026 | 91K | Compare → |
| 8 | Olympia | 107 | $1,437/mo | $73,851 | 55K | Compare → |
| 9 | Lacey | 108 | $1,639/mo | $79,874 | 56K | Compare → |
| 10 | Bremerton | 112 | $1,413/mo | $68,556 | 44K | Compare → |
| 11 | Vancouver | 112 | $1,525/mo | $73,626 | 191K | Compare → |
| 12 | Lakewood | 122 | $1,318/mo | $65,531 | 63K | Compare → |
| 13 | Tacoma | 123 | $1,489/mo | $79,085 | 219K | Compare → |
| 14 | Auburn | 123 | $1,594/mo | $87,406 | 86K | Compare → |
| 15 | Everett | 123 | $1,611/mo | $77,806 | 111K | Compare → |
| 16 | Burien | 123 | $1,649/mo | $84,583 | 52K | Compare → |
| 17 | Federal Way | 123 | $1,660/mo | $80,360 | 100K | Compare → |
| 18 | Kent | 124 | $1,742/mo | $86,966 | 135K | Compare → |
| 19 | Marysville | 124 | $1,763/mo | $98,288 | 71K | Compare → |
| 20 | Shoreline | 124 | $1,853/mo | $106,184 | 59K | Compare → |
| 21 | Renton | 124 | $1,864/mo | $92,292 | 105K | Compare → |
| 22 | South Hill | 124 | $1,864/mo | $103,707 | 68K | Compare → |
| 23 | Seattle | 124 | $1,945/mo | $116,068 | 735K | Compare → |
| 24 | Bothell | 125 | $2,174/mo | $127,944 | 48K | Compare → |
| 25 | Kirkland | 125 | $2,250/mo | $135,608 | 92K | Compare → |
| 26 | Redmond | 125 | $2,299/mo | $155,287 | 74K | Compare → |
| 27 | Bellevue | 126 | $2,422/mo | $149,551 | 151K | Compare → |
| 28 | Sammamish | 126 | $2,627/mo | $215,047 | 67K | Compare → |
If you're weighing a move to Washington, the case usually comes down to a few specific things — most clearly wage income stays untaxed at the state level and washington pays better than the typical state, plus 3 more. Here's the detail.
Washington sits in the small club of US states with no income tax on wage and salary income. The savings versus a high-tax state can run to five figures a year for higher earners, and the math gets more interesting the longer you stay. (Washington taxes some long-term capital gains over a high threshold; ordinary wages are untaxed.)
Median household income across Washington cities averages about $94,365 — a step above the US median of around $75k. Not a uniformly high-wage state, but the labor market here pays more than most of the country.
Seattle (population about 734,603) gives Washington a genuine major-city anchor. Big airports, headquartered employers, professional sports, specialty hospitals, and the kind of job market you don't get in mid-sized towns — and you can live close to it or an hour away, depending on the lifestyle you want.
We track 28 Washington cities with full cost data, ranging from small towns to major metros. That means you can actually pick a fit — urban density vs. small-town quiet, expensive vs. cheap, big-job-market vs. easier-commute — instead of having "the state's one big city" be your only option.
Washington has Pacific coastline — meaning the ocean is reachable without a flight, and for plenty of residents it's reachable in under an hour. That changes the rhythm of a year: summer plans default to the water, the weather is moderated by being near it, and a lot of the state's culture is tied to fishing, ports, or beach towns.
Reasons reflect aggregated city data for Washington (Census ACS, BLS, BEA) plus well-known state-level geography. We only list points that are actually supported — different states show different sections.
Across Washington, Yakima is the most affordable city we track (cost index 89, with median rent around $1,014/mo), while Sammamish sits at the top of the range with an index of 126—roughly 42% pricier than Yakima. Use the table above to compare any Washington city directly against Yakima.
The other end of the ranking — priciest first.