Jobs, pay and daily life in Anacortes, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Anacortes is a city in Washington with 17,966 residents. The median household earns $91,951 a year and the median rent is $1,702 a month, which is 22.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 52,600 jobs.
How Anacortes compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Anacortes is #79 by population, #26 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #26 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #26 for long commutes (#1 = fewest). Its county, Skagit County, is #11 of 39 counties for average pay ($65,374).
Anacortes has 17,966 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Washington. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,536 people per square mile. The median age is 50.5, 32% older than the state median (50.5 against 38.3).
The median gross rent is $1,702 a month (rent plus utilities), 3% below the state median ($1,702 against $1,760). Over a year that is 22.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $696,700, which is 7.6 times the median household income ($91,951); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 69.9% of households own their home, 10% above the state average (69.9% against 63.8%).
The Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA metropolitan area has 52,600 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $59,590 a year, 17% above the national median ($59,590 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (5,480 jobs, median $54,190); food preparation and serving related (4,930 jobs, median $43,620); sales and related (4,900 jobs, median $43,700). The area is most specialised in office and administrative support (0.9 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are office and administrative support ($54,190). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Skagit County was 3.7%. 50.0% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Skagit County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 69.1% drive alone, 1.1% use public transit, 3.5% walk, 16.0% work from home. 12.8% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 24% below the state average (12.8% against 16.9%).
47.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19% above the state share (47.2% against 39.6%). 5.8% of residents were born outside the United States, 62% below the state share (5.8% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 7.3%, 26% below the state rate (7.3% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 63°F (17.2°C), and the coolest is Dec at 38°F (3.6°C). About 1,303 mm (51 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Nov is the wettest month (205 mm) and Jul the driest (23 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Oak Harbor (13 miles, rent 3% lower); Mount Vernon (15 miles, rent 17% lower); Bellingham (20 miles, rent 7% lower); Arlington (31 miles, rent 12% higher). Rent differences are against Anacortes; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Washington (1,198) →State guide: WashingtonCountry guideSkagit CountyWashington rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,198 federal postings open in Washington (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Washington →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Salespersons | 1,730 | 1.31 | $39,240 | $35,850 | $57,430 | +11% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 1,580 | 1.21 | $36,890 | $35,610 | $45,540 | +18% |
| Cashiers | 1,270 | 1.21 | $37,960 | $36,020 | $48,270 | +15% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,200 | 0.82 | $42,690 | $36,390 | $50,630 | +19% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,190 | 1.04 | $106,730 | $85,030 | $135,510 | +9% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 900 | 0.94 | $44,300 | $37,070 | $55,590 | +19% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 870 | 1.82 | $57,950 | $39,470 | $62,920 | +58% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 830 | 1.08 | $53,060 | $37,910 | $81,410 | +51% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 800 | 0.80 | $45,960 | $36,830 | $58,030 | +14% |
| Electricians | 740 | 2.89 | $104,510 | $55,590 | $156,620 | +65% |
| Office Clerks, General | 720 | 0.86 | $50,170 | $38,420 | $69,010 | +11% |
| General and Operations Managers | 710 | 0.60 | $126,680 | $75,280 | $236,610 | +20% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 670 | 0.96 | $62,240 | $49,400 | $83,310 | +6% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 650 | 0.87 | $44,860 | $37,440 | $64,160 | +22% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 590 | 1.23 | $46,450 | $37,280 | $56,800 | +24% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 560 | 1.07 | $60,150 | $38,380 | $88,400 | +21% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 560 | 1.21 | $59,020 | $44,440 | $79,470 | +16% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 560 | 2.04 | $130,790 | $76,380 | $171,810 | +64% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 550 | 2.42 | $79,630 | $58,220 | $117,550 | +7% |
| Carpenters | 540 | 2.40 | $69,710 | $50,190 | $119,960 | +15% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 560 | 2.04 | $130,790 | $76,380 | $171,810 | +64% |
| General and Operations Managers | 710 | 0.60 | $126,680 | $75,280 | $236,610 | +20% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,190 | 1.04 | $106,730 | $85,030 | $135,510 | +9% |
| Electricians | 740 | 2.89 | $104,510 | $55,590 | $156,620 | +65% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 500 | 1.07 | $100,730 | $79,390 | $132,840 | +57% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers | 550 | 2.42 | $79,630 | $58,220 | $117,550 | +7% |
| Carpenters | 540 | 2.40 | $69,710 | $50,190 | $119,960 | +15% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 670 | 0.96 | $62,240 | $49,400 | $83,310 | +6% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 560 | 1.07 | $60,150 | $38,380 | $88,400 | +21% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 560 | 1.21 | $59,020 | $44,440 | $79,470 | +16% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 870 | 1.82 | $57,950 | $39,470 | $62,920 | +58% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 510 | 0.88 | $56,980 | $43,250 | $73,740 | +20% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 830 | 1.08 | $53,060 | $37,910 | $81,410 | +51% |
| Office Clerks, General | 720 | 0.86 | $50,170 | $38,420 | $69,010 | +11% |
| Nursing Assistants | 500 | 1.01 | $49,020 | $41,320 | $59,040 | +16% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 590 | 1.23 | $46,450 | $37,280 | $56,800 | +24% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 800 | 0.80 | $45,960 | $36,830 | $58,030 | +14% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 500 | 1.55 | $45,020 | $37,700 | $59,420 | +15% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 650 | 0.87 | $44,860 | $37,440 | $64,160 | +22% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 900 | 0.94 | $44,300 | $37,070 | $55,590 | +19% |
These figures are for the whole Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $59,590 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.7% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.7% |
| Manufacturing | 10.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.2% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.8% |
| Retail trade | 9.4% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 8.4% |
| Other services | 5.9% |
| Public administration | 5.7% |
| Construction | 5.3% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.9% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Anacortes lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skagit County | 131,328 | $9,574 million | $72,903 | 53,884 | 3,856 | $65,374 | +2.8% | 3.7% | 60,255 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 6,698 | 16.2% | $43,968 | 1.24 |
| Manufacturing | 6,308 | 15.2% | $77,769 | 1.42 |
| Health care and social assistance | 5,417 | 13.1% | $55,005 | 0.70 |
| Accommodation and food services | 4,384 | 10.6% | $31,555 | 0.89 |
| Construction | 4,346 | 10.5% | $88,173 | 1.54 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 2,366 | 5.7% | $43,312 | 5.43 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,090 | 5.0% | $88,379 | 0.56 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,758 | 4.2% | $46,516 | 1.08 |
| Finance and insurance | 1,524 | 3.7% | $85,671 | 0.70 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,506 | 3.6% | $66,721 | 0.47 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,420 | 3.4% | $80,176 | 0.67 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,403 | 3.4% | $64,277 | 0.61 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 604 | 1.5% | $28,998 | 0.67 |
| Real estate and rental | 480 | 1.2% | $54,024 | 0.57 |
| Educational services | 460 | 1.1% | $44,009 | 0.41 |
| Information | 256 | 0.6% | $93,964 | 0.25 |
| Utilities | 250 | 0.6% | $134,033 | 1.22 |
| Management of companies | 85 | 0.2% | $101,918 | 0.09 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 44 | 0.1% | $65,786 | 0.22 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.1% |
| Public transit | 1.1% |
| Walk | 3.5% |
| Work from home | 16.0% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 12.8% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,951 |
| Income per person | $57,662 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,702 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.2% |
| Median home value | $696,700 |
| Homeowners | 69.9% |
| Poverty rate | 7.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 102.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $59,590 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 50.5 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 96.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 47.2% |
| Born abroad | 5.8% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 50.0% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.0 | 39 | 191 |
| Feb | 4.2 | 40 | 114 |
| Mar | 6.1 | 43 | 146 |
| Apr | 8.6 | 47 | 93 |
| May | 12.1 | 54 | 67 |
| Jun | 14.3 | 58 | 50 |
| Jul | 17.0 | 63 | 23 |
| Aug | 17.2 | 63 | 33 |
| Sep | 14.7 | 58 | 64 |
| Oct | 10.2 | 50 | 142 |
| Nov | 6.3 | 43 | 205 |
| Dec | 3.6 | 38 | 175 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Harbor | WA | 13 mi | 24,362 | $76,084 | $1,645 |
| Mount Vernon | WA | 15 mi | 35,377 | $75,777 | $1,405 |
| Bellingham | WA | 20 mi | 93,438 | $66,755 | $1,577 |
| Arlington | WA | 31 mi | 21,095 | $88,231 | $1,905 |
| Marysville | WA | 36 mi | 73,002 | $103,974 | $1,997 |
| Everett | WA | 41 mi | 111,845 | $83,512 | $1,740 |
| Lake Stevens | WA | 41 mi | 40,253 | $122,336 | $2,224 |
| Mukilteo | WA | 42 mi | 21,323 | $132,861 | $2,166 |
| Eastmont | WA | 46 mi | 23,721 | $138,912 | $2,443 |
| Port Angeles | WA | 46 mi | 20,118 | $62,606 | $1,170 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
17,966 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,702 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.2% of the median household income.
$91,951 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.7% (BLS county, Skagit County (latest month 2026M09)).
Washington. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.