Lowest-earning counties in Washington
Americans on the whole were doing well financially heading into 2020, with major markers like unemployment reaching 50-year lows. The pandemic changed all that: During the second quarter of the 2020 fiscal year, our nation's real GDP fell by a whopping 31.4%, a number that hasn't been seen since the Great Depression. Since then the GDP has recovered, the first quarter of 2022 was 11% above the fourth quarter of 2019.
While GDP has recovered since the height of the pandemic, wage growth has not kept pace with inflation. In 2021 average hourly wages increased 4.7% while there was 7% inflation, meaning the worker's purchasing power dropped by 2.4%.
Where you live can make a big impact on your financial situation. The highest earning county in the U.S. earns $147,111, while the lowest earns $22,292. Stacker compiled a list of the lowest-earning counties in Washington using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the Census' 2020 5-year estimate median household income.
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#39. King County
- Median household income: $99,158
--- 28.8% above state average, 52.6% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 49.6%
--- #52 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.5%
--- #3,091 highest among all counties nationwide
#38. Snohomish County
- Median household income: $89,273
--- 15.9% above state average, 37.4% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 44.1%
--- #104 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 5.4%
--- #3,044 highest among all counties nationwide
#37. Kitsap County
- Median household income: $78,969
--- 2.5% above state average, 21.5% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 37.3%
--- #227 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.7%
--- #2,935 highest among all counties nationwide
#36. Clark County
- Median household income: $77,184
--- 0.2% above state average, 18.8% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 37.0%
--- #234 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.1%
--- #2,921 highest among all counties nationwide
#35. Pierce County
- Median household income: $76,438
--- 0.7% below state average, 17.6% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 35.9%
--- #262 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.8%
--- #2,909 highest among all counties nationwide
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#34. Thurston County
- Median household income: $75,867
--- 1.5% below state average, 16.7% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 34.5%
--- #294 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.1%
--- #2,896 highest among all counties nationwide
#33. Benton County
- Median household income: $72,046
--- 6.4% below state average, 10.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 33.9%
--- #317 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.2%
--- #2,823 highest among all counties nationwide
#32. Skagit County
- Median household income: $71,021
--- 7.8% below state average, 9.3% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 31.2%
--- #425 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.4%
--- #2,792 highest among all counties nationwide
#31. Island County
- Median household income: $70,765
--- 8.1% below state average, 8.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 31.3%
--- #421 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.1%
--- #2,788 highest among all counties nationwide
#30. Skamania County
- Median household income: $69,296
--- 10.0% below state average, 6.6% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 34.4%
--- #300 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.3%
--- #2,745 highest among all counties nationwide
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#29. Franklin County
- Median household income: $66,904
--- 13.1% below state average, 2.9% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 31.2%
--- #424 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.1%
--- #2,648 highest among all counties nationwide
#28. Douglas County
- Median household income: $65,730
--- 14.6% below state average, 1.1% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 27.8%
--- #642 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.6%
--- #2,607 highest among all counties nationwide
#27. Whatcom County
- Median household income: $65,420
--- 15.0% below state average, 0.7% above national average
- Households earning over $100k: 28.9%
--- #554 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.2%
--- #2,590 highest among all counties nationwide
#26. San Juan County
- Median household income: $64,753
--- 15.9% below state average, 0.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 31.7%
--- #410 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.4%
--- #2,550 highest among all counties nationwide
#25. Columbia County
- Median household income: $61,779
--- 19.8% below state average, 4.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.4%
--- #744 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.8%
--- #2,377 highest among all counties nationwide
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#24. Chelan County
- Median household income: $61,304
--- 20.4% below state average, 5.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 27.7%
--- #651 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.0%
--- #2,341 highest among all counties nationwide
#23. Walla Walla County
- Median household income: $60,615
--- 21.3% below state average, 6.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.4%
--- #744 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.5%
--- #2,302 highest among all counties nationwide
#22. Mason County
- Median household income: $60,565
--- 21.4% below state average, 6.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 25.2%
--- #854 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.9%
--- #2,296 highest among all counties nationwide
#21. Spokane County
- Median household income: $60,101
--- 22.0% below state average, 7.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.1%
--- #767 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.1%
--- #2,260 highest among all counties nationwide
#20. Kittitas County
- Median household income: $59,703
--- 22.5% below state average, 8.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.4%
--- #741 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.1%
--- #2,227 highest among all counties nationwide
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#19. Grant County
- Median household income: $59,165
--- 23.2% below state average, 9.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 23.5%
--- #1,057 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.4%
--- #2,164 highest among all counties nationwide
#18. Cowlitz County
- Median household income: $58,791
--- 23.7% below state average, 9.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 23.5%
--- #1,057 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.2%
--- #2,132 highest among all counties nationwide
#17. Lincoln County
- Median household income: $58,584
--- 23.9% below state average, 9.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 23.6%
--- #1,039 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 7.5%
--- #2,120 highest among all counties nationwide
#16. Jefferson County
- Median household income: $57,693
--- 25.1% below state average, 11.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.3%
--- #754 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.2%
--- #2,054 highest among all counties nationwide
#15. Garfield County
- Median household income: $56,923
--- 26.1% below state average, 12.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 15.8%
--- #2,366 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 6.0%
--- #1,975 highest among all counties nationwide
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#14. Klickitat County
- Median household income: $56,667
--- 26.4% below state average, 12.8% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.6%
--- #1,343 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.9%
--- #1,949 highest among all counties nationwide
#13. Clallam County
- Median household income: $55,090
--- 28.5% below state average, 15.2% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 22.3%
--- #1,234 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.6%
--- #1,814 highest among all counties nationwide
#12. Pend Oreille County
- Median household income: $55,021
--- 28.5% below state average, 15.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.0%
--- #1,607 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.9%
--- #1,802 highest among all counties nationwide
#11. Lewis County
- Median household income: $54,970
--- 28.6% below state average, 15.4% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.2%
--- #1,406 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 10.2%
--- #1,797 highest among all counties nationwide
#10. Yakima County
- Median household income: $54,917
--- 28.7% below state average, 15.5% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 20.7%
--- #1,488 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.5%
--- #1,792 highest among all counties nationwide
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#9. Wahkiakum County
- Median household income: $54,524
--- 29.2% below state average, 16.1% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 26.3%
--- #754 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 9.3%
--- #1,753 highest among all counties nationwide
#8. Stevens County
- Median household income: $54,426
--- 29.3% below state average, 16.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.9%
--- #1,288 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.2%
--- #1,740 highest among all counties nationwide
#7. Asotin County
- Median household income: $53,941
--- 30.0% below state average, 17.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.6%
--- #1,333 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 8.7%
--- #1,694 highest among all counties nationwide
#6. Adams County
- Median household income: $51,601
--- 33.0% below state average, 20.6% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.0%
--- #1,961 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.0%
--- #1,405 highest among all counties nationwide
#5. Pacific County
- Median household income: $50,873
--- 33.9% below state average, 21.7% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.9%
--- #1,804 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 13.8%
--- #1,304 highest among all counties nationwide
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#4. Grays Harbor County
- Median household income: $50,665
--- 34.2% below state average, 22.0% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 18.5%
--- #1,874 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 11.5%
--- #1,282 highest among all counties nationwide
#3. Okanogan County
- Median household income: $48,528
--- 37.0% below state average, 25.3% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 16.1%
--- #2,306 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 12.2%
--- #1,052 highest among all counties nationwide
#2. Whitman County
- Median household income: $42,288
--- 45.1% below state average, 34.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 19.5%
--- #1,690 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 20.3%
--- #519 highest among all counties nationwide
#1. Ferry County
- Median household income: $41,685
--- 45.9% below state average, 35.9% below national average
- Households earning over $100k: 21.1%
--- #1,436 highest among all counties nationwide
- Households earning less than $15k: 17.7%
--- #459 highest among all counties nationwide
