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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Mercer Island has the largest share of adults with a bachelor's degree (81.5%), 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 34.9% and the average 40.5%; the figure runs from 81.5% (Mercer Island) to 16.6% (Spanaway). That is a spread of 4.9 times between the two ends. The state figure is 39.6%; 34 of the 80 places are above it and 46 at or below.
The first five are Mercer Island, Sammamish, Bainbridge Island, Redmond, Bellevue. 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 ⇅ | Bachelor's degree or higher ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer Island | King County | 81.5% | 25,307 | $219,069 | $2,502 |
| 2 | Sammamish | King County | 77.1% | 66,463 | $239,690 | $2,857 |
| 3 | Bainbridge Island | Kitsap County | 76.4% | 24,631 | $172,188 | $2,194 |
| 4 | Redmond | King County | 75.3% | 77,353 | $162,560 | $2,409 |
| 5 | Bellevue | King County | 72.1% | 151,847 | $165,576 | $2,572 |
| 6 | Union Hill-Novelty Hill (unincorporated) | King County | 71.7% | 23,047 | $185,369 | $2,556 |
| 7 | Issaquah | King County | 70.5% | 39,591 | $154,669 | $2,590 |
| 8 | Seattle | King County | 68.5% | 754,195 | $123,860 | $2,030 |
| 9 | Cottage Lake (unincorporated) | King County | 67.8% | 22,518 | $213,106 | $2,740 |
| 10 | Mill Creek East (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 67.6% | 25,453 | $192,937 | $3,152 |
| 11 | Kirkland | King County | 66.3% | 92,621 | $150,414 | $2,401 |
| 12 | Kenmore | King County | 61.8% | 23,741 | $139,764 | $1,949 |
| 13 | Pullman | Whitman County | 61.4% | 32,229 | $46,812 | $1,062 |
| 14 | Bothell | King County | 59.8% | 49,610 | $140,427 | $2,346 |
| 15 | Mukilteo | Snohomish County | 56.3% | 21,323 | $132,861 | $2,166 |
| 16 | Bothell West (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 56.1% | 22,029 | $153,449 | $2,511 |
| 17 | Mill Creek | Snohomish County | 56.0% | 20,956 | $124,364 | $2,249 |
| 18 | Camas | Clark County | 54.8% | 27,007 | $141,126 | $2,090 |
| 19 | Edmonds | Snohomish County | 54.0% | 42,735 | $122,449 | $1,903 |
| 20 | Shoreline | King County | 52.8% | 61,431 | $112,751 | $1,985 |
| 21 | Silver Firs (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 51.9% | 22,306 | $163,418 | $2,881 |
| 22 | Olympia | Thurston County | 51.8% | 55,951 | $81,302 | $1,599 |
| 23 | Fairwood (unincorporated) | King County | 50.3% | 17,856 | $122,134 | $2,233 |
| 24 | Martha Lake (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 50.2% | 22,634 | $124,494 | $2,185 |
| 25 | Maple Valley | King County | 50.2% | 28,287 | $152,885 | $2,304 |
| 26 | Bellingham | Whatcom County | 48.5% | 93,438 | $66,755 | $1,577 |
| 27 | Anacortes | Skagit County | 47.2% | 17,966 | $91,951 | $1,702 |
| 28 | Richland | Benton County | 46.6% | 62,753 | $95,813 | $1,468 |
| 29 | North Lynnwood (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 43.8% | 23,339 | $101,088 | $2,145 |
| 30 | Mountlake Terrace | Snohomish County | 43.0% | 23,104 | $107,687 | $2,004 |
| 31 | Tumwater | Thurston County | 42.9% | 26,956 | $95,212 | $1,779 |
| 32 | University Place | Pierce County | 42.1% | 34,911 | $99,031 | $1,762 |
| 33 | Ellensburg | Kittitas County | 41.4% | 20,874 | $55,438 | $1,340 |
| 34 | Eastmont (unincorporated) | Snohomish County | 40.5% | 23,721 | $138,912 | $2,443 |
| 35 | Renton | King County | 39.5% | 105,317 | $100,432 | $1,998 |
| 36 | Covington | King County | 37.3% | 21,233 | $134,502 | $2,232 |
| 37 | Salmon Creek (unincorporated) | Clark County | 36.4% | 20,017 | $111,631 | $1,631 |
| 38 | Silverdale (unincorporated) | Kitsap County | 36.3% | 20,685 | $105,483 | $2,143 |
| 39 | Lake Stevens | Snohomish County | 35.0% | 40,253 | $122,336 | $2,224 |
| 40 | Lynnwood | Snohomish County | 34.9% | 40,110 | $77,704 | $1,742 |
| 41 | Tacoma | Pierce County | 34.5% | 222,758 | $85,884 | $1,676 |
| 42 | Lacey | Thurston County | 34.1% | 57,737 | $90,625 | $1,870 |
| 43 | Spokane | Spokane County | 33.9% | 230,293 | $70,064 | $1,215 |
| 44 | Des Moines | King County | 33.4% | 32,823 | $92,483 | $1,799 |
| 45 | Burien | King County | 33.2% | 51,513 | $91,318 | $1,782 |
| 46 | South Hill (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 32.9% | 68,025 | $113,130 | $2,088 |
| 47 | Vancouver | Clark County | 32.4% | 195,300 | $81,338 | $1,702 |
| 48 | Federal Way | King County | 30.8% | 99,493 | $86,909 | $1,797 |
| 49 | Port Angeles | Clallam County | 30.2% | 20,118 | $62,606 | $1,170 |
| 50 | Bonney Lake | Pierce County | 30.2% | 22,090 | $136,845 | $2,256 |
| 51 | Monroe | Snohomish County | 30.0% | 19,755 | $110,461 | $1,950 |
| 52 | Kent | King County | 29.8% | 135,603 | $92,302 | $1,909 |
| 53 | Puyallup | Pierce County | 29.4% | 42,746 | $97,826 | $1,812 |
| 54 | Oak Harbor | Island County | 28.9% | 24,362 | $76,084 | $1,645 |
| 55 | Wenatchee | Chelan County | 28.8% | 35,484 | $73,040 | $1,248 |
| 56 | Everett | Snohomish County | 28.8% | 111,845 | $83,512 | $1,740 |
| 57 | Bremerton | Kitsap County | 28.4% | 44,830 | $74,940 | $1,641 |
| 58 | Mount Vernon | Skagit County | 27.9% | 35,377 | $75,777 | $1,405 |
| 59 | Walla Walla | Walla Walla County | 27.6% | 33,925 | $66,748 | $1,323 |
| 60 | Hazel Dell (unincorporated) | Clark County | 27.2% | 23,237 | $86,305 | $1,753 |
| 61 | Battle Ground | Clark County | 26.7% | 21,886 | $104,977 | $1,576 |
| 62 | Spokane Valley | Spokane County | 26.5% | 106,365 | $74,042 | $1,353 |
| 63 | SeaTac | King County | 26.4% | 32,414 | $81,104 | $1,660 |
| 64 | Kennewick | Benton County | 26.2% | 85,295 | $73,576 | $1,240 |
| 65 | Five Corners (unincorporated) | Clark County | 25.7% | 21,194 | $106,192 | $2,111 |
| 66 | Auburn | King County | 25.6% | 85,676 | $97,884 | $1,786 |
| 67 | Tukwila | King County | 25.3% | 21,451 | $78,381 | $1,898 |
| 68 | Orchards (unincorporated) | Clark County | 24.8% | 29,438 | $100,146 | $1,784 |
| 69 | Marysville | Snohomish County | 24.3% | 73,002 | $103,974 | $1,997 |
| 70 | Graham (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 23.8% | 35,079 | $116,862 | $2,095 |
| 71 | Lakewood | Pierce County | 23.2% | 62,937 | $74,720 | $1,525 |
| 72 | Pasco | Franklin County | 21.4% | 79,575 | $85,586 | $1,227 |
| 73 | Moses Lake | Grant County | 21.4% | 26,083 | $74,752 | $1,216 |
| 74 | Arlington | Snohomish County | 20.8% | 21,095 | $88,231 | $1,905 |
| 75 | Yakima | Yakima County | 20.8% | 96,961 | $62,815 | $1,117 |
| 76 | Frederickson (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 20.0% | 25,383 | $109,500 | $2,386 |
| 77 | Centralia | Lewis County | 19.4% | 18,830 | $56,219 | $1,084 |
| 78 | Parkland (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 17.5% | 38,742 | $72,239 | $1,663 |
| 79 | Longview | Cowlitz County | 16.8% | 38,069 | $61,747 | $1,137 |
| 80 | Spanaway (unincorporated) | Pierce County | 16.6% | 34,019 | $98,251 | $1,813 |
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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 81.5% (among the 80 largest places; ACS 2020–2024).
The 80 largest places in Washington by population.