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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Mercer Island has the lowest share of income going to rent (13.7%), followed by Sammamish and Bainbridge Island. Click any column to sort; click a city for its guide.
Across the 80 places in Washington that we cover, the median is 21.9% and the average 21.8%; the figure runs from 13.7% (Mercer Island) to 29.1% (Tukwila). That is a spread of 2.1 times between the two ends.
The first five are Mercer Island, Sammamish, Bainbridge Island, Cottage Lake, Union Hill-Novelty Hill. A high or low position is not good or bad on its own: read it together with the other measures on the city pages. Use the Compare tab on each city page to see how two places differ across income, rent, commute and education, and check the county page for the local job market.
| # ⇅ | City ⇅ | County ⇅ | Yearly rent as share of income ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer Island | King County | 13.7% | 25,307 | $219,069 | $2,502 |
| 2 | Sammamish | King County | 14.3% | 66,463 | $239,690 | $2,857 |
| 3 | Bainbridge Island | Kitsap County | 15.3% | 24,631 | $172,188 | $2,194 |
| 4 | Cottage Lake (unincorporated) | King County | 15.4% | 22,518 | $213,106 | $2,740 |
| 5 | Union Hill-Novelty Hill (unincorporated) | King County | 16.5% | 23,047 | $185,369 | $2,556 |
| 6 | Kenmore | King County | 16.7% | 23,741 | $139,764 | $1,949 |
| 7 | Pasco | Franklin County | 17.2% | 79,575 | $85,586 | $1,227 |
| 8 | Salmon Creek (unincorporated) | Clark County | 17.5% | 20,017 | $111,631 | $1,631 |
| 9 | Camas | Clark County | 17.8% | 27,007 | $141,126 | $2,090 |
| 10 | Redmond | King County | 17.8% | 77,353 | $162,560 | $2,409 |
| 11 | Battle Ground | Clark County | 18.0% | 21,886 | $104,977 | $1,576 |
| 12 | Maple Valley | King County | 18.1% | 28,287 | $152,885 | $2,304 |
| 13 | Richland | Benton County | 18.4% | 62,753 | $95,813 | $1,468 |
| 14 | Bellevue | King County | 18.6% | 151,847 | $165,576 | $2,572 |
| 15 | Edmonds | Snohomish County | 18.6% | 42,735 | $122,449 | $1,903 |
| 16 | Kirkland | King County | 19.2% | 92,621 | $150,414 | $2,401 |
| 17 | Moses Lake | Grant County | 19.5% | 26,083 | $74,752 | $1,216 |
| 18 | Mukilteo | Snohomish County | 19.6% | 21,323 | $132,861 | $2,166 |
| 19 | Mill Creek East (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 19.6% | 25,453 | $192,937 | $3,152 |
| 20 | Bothell West (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 19.6% | 22,029 | $153,449 | $2,511 |
| 21 | Seattle | King County | 19.7% | 754,195 | $123,860 | $2,030 |
| 22 | Bonney Lake | Pierce County | 19.8% | 22,090 | $136,845 | $2,256 |
| 23 | Covington | King County | 19.9% | 21,233 | $134,502 | $2,232 |
| 24 | Bothell | King County | 20.0% | 49,610 | $140,427 | $2,346 |
| 25 | Issaquah | King County | 20.1% | 39,591 | $154,669 | $2,590 |
| 26 | Kennewick | Benton County | 20.2% | 85,295 | $73,576 | $1,240 |
| 27 | Wenatchee | Chelan County | 20.5% | 35,484 | $73,040 | $1,248 |
| 28 | Spokane | Spokane County | 20.8% | 230,293 | $70,064 | $1,215 |
| 29 | Martha Lake (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 21.1% | 22,634 | $124,494 | $2,185 |
| 30 | Eastmont (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 21.1% | 23,721 | $138,912 | $2,443 |
| 31 | Shoreline | King County | 21.1% | 61,431 | $112,751 | $1,985 |
| 32 | Silver Firs (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 21.2% | 22,306 | $163,418 | $2,881 |
| 33 | Monroe | Snohomish County | 21.2% | 19,755 | $110,461 | $1,950 |
| 34 | Yakima | Yakima County | 21.3% | 96,961 | $62,815 | $1,117 |
| 35 | University Place | Pierce County | 21.4% | 34,911 | $99,031 | $1,762 |
| 36 | Orchards (unincorporated) | Clark County | 21.4% | 29,438 | $100,146 | $1,784 |
| 37 | Graham (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 21.5% | 35,079 | $116,862 | $2,095 |
| 38 | Mill Creek | Snohomish County | 21.7% | 20,956 | $124,364 | $2,249 |
| 39 | Lake Stevens | Snohomish County | 21.8% | 40,253 | $122,336 | $2,224 |
| 40 | Auburn | King County | 21.9% | 85,676 | $97,884 | $1,786 |
| 41 | Spokane Valley | Spokane County | 21.9% | 106,365 | $74,042 | $1,353 |
| 42 | Fairwood (unincorporated) | King County | 21.9% | 17,856 | $122,134 | $2,233 |
| 43 | Longview | Cowlitz County | 22.1% | 38,069 | $61,747 | $1,137 |
| 44 | Spanaway (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 22.1% | 34,019 | $98,251 | $1,813 |
| 45 | South Hill (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 22.1% | 68,025 | $113,130 | $2,088 |
| 46 | Anacortes | Skagit County | 22.2% | 17,966 | $91,951 | $1,702 |
| 47 | Puyallup | Pierce County | 22.2% | 42,746 | $97,826 | $1,812 |
| 48 | Mount Vernon | Skagit County | 22.2% | 35,377 | $75,777 | $1,405 |
| 49 | Mountlake Terrace | Snohomish County | 22.3% | 23,104 | $107,687 | $2,004 |
| 50 | Tumwater | Thurston County | 22.4% | 26,956 | $95,212 | $1,779 |
| 51 | Port Angeles | Clallam County | 22.4% | 20,118 | $62,606 | $1,170 |
| 52 | Marysville | Snohomish County | 23.0% | 73,002 | $103,974 | $1,997 |
| 53 | Centralia | Lewis County | 23.1% | 18,830 | $56,219 | $1,084 |
| 54 | Des Moines | King County | 23.3% | 32,823 | $92,483 | $1,799 |
| 55 | Burien | King County | 23.4% | 51,513 | $91,318 | $1,782 |
| 56 | Tacoma | Pierce County | 23.4% | 222,758 | $85,884 | $1,676 |
| 57 | Olympia | Thurston County | 23.6% | 55,951 | $81,302 | $1,599 |
| 58 | Walla Walla | Walla Walla County | 23.8% | 33,925 | $66,748 | $1,323 |
| 59 | Five Corners (unincorporated) | Clark County | 23.9% | 21,194 | $106,192 | $2,111 |
| 60 | Renton | King County | 23.9% | 105,317 | $100,432 | $1,998 |
| 61 | Hazel Dell (unincorporated) | Clark County | 24.4% | 23,237 | $86,305 | $1,753 |
| 62 | Silverdale (unincorporated) | Kitsap County | 24.4% | 20,685 | $105,483 | $2,143 |
| 63 | Lakewood | Pierce County | 24.5% | 62,937 | $74,720 | $1,525 |
| 64 | SeaTac | King County | 24.6% | 32,414 | $81,104 | $1,660 |
| 65 | Lacey | Thurston County | 24.8% | 57,737 | $90,625 | $1,870 |
| 66 | Federal Way | King County | 24.8% | 99,493 | $86,909 | $1,797 |
| 67 | Kent | King County | 24.8% | 135,603 | $92,302 | $1,909 |
| 68 | Everett | Snohomish County | 25.0% | 111,845 | $83,512 | $1,740 |
| 69 | Vancouver | Clark County | 25.1% | 195,300 | $81,338 | $1,702 |
| 70 | North Lynnwood (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 25.5% | 23,339 | $101,088 | $2,145 |
| 71 | Arlington | Snohomish County | 25.9% | 21,095 | $88,231 | $1,905 |
| 72 | Oak Harbor | Island County | 25.9% | 24,362 | $76,084 | $1,645 |
| 73 | Frederickson (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 26.1% | 25,383 | $109,500 | $2,386 |
| 74 | Bremerton | Kitsap County | 26.3% | 44,830 | $74,940 | $1,641 |
| 75 | Lynnwood | Snohomish County | 26.9% | 40,110 | $77,704 | $1,742 |
| 76 | Pullman | Whitman County | 27.2% | 32,229 | $46,812 | $1,062 |
| 77 | Parkland (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 27.6% | 38,742 | $72,239 | $1,663 |
| 78 | Bellingham | Whatcom County | 28.3% | 93,438 | $66,755 | $1,577 |
| 79 | Ellensburg | Kittitas County | 29.0% | 20,874 | $55,438 | $1,340 |
| 80 | Tukwila | King County | 29.1% | 21,451 | $78,381 | $1,898 |
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Unincorporated places are census-designated places: they have no city government but are counted as communities. Figures describe the city itself.
Mercer Island, with 13.7% (among the 80 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 80 largest places in Washington by population.