Best Places to Live in Washington (2012)

This article, the fourteenth in a 50-state series, ranks the best places to live in Washington based on three criteria: (1) median household income (adjusted for cost of living); (2) educational attainment (% of residents 25 years and over who have earned a bachelor's degree or higher); and (3) property crime rates per 1,000 residents (burglary and automobile thefts). For purposes of these rankings, "places" are incorporated municipalities with populations greater than 2,000.

Among the twenty best places to live in Washington, sixteen are suburbs of Seattle, one is a suburb of Olympia, one is a suburb of Tacoma, one is a suburb of Kennewick, and one is a suburb of Vancouver, Washington. By county, fourteen of the best places to live in Washington are located in King County, two in Snohomish County, and one each in Benton, Clark, Kitsap, and Pierce Counties.

After reading "Best Places to Live in Washington (2012)," return to this link to read "Largest Cities in Washington (2012)." A collection of similar articles for the remaining 49 states can be found at these links: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

For the culmination of the 50-state series, read "Best Places to Live in America (2012)."

1. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Clyde Hill, WA (King County)

Population: 2,770

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $155,718
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 73.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.95

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 8 miles WSW
Tacoma, WA: 40 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 67 miles SW

2. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Medina, WA (King County)

Population: 3,116

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $135,900
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 75.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.4

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 9 miles WSW
Tacoma, WA: 38 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 65 miles SW

3. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Sammamish, WA (King County)

Population: 41,666

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $112,681
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 68.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.11

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 18 miles WSW
Tacoma, WA: 46 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 73 miles SW

4. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Mercer Island, WA (King County)

Population: 23,791

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $98,512
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 75.4%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.6

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 7 miles WNW
Tacoma, WA: 36 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 64 miles SW

5. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Bainbridge Island, WA (Kitsap County)

Population: 21,923

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $86,933
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 64.6%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.17

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 10 miles WNW
Tacoma, WA: 43 miles S
Olympia, WA: 71 miles SSW

6. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Duvall, WA (King County)

Population: 6,004

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $101,923
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 43.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.44

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 25 miles WSW
Tacoma, WA: 53 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 81 miles SW

7. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Newcastle, WA (King County)

Population: 9,709

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $84,781
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 60.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.6

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 13 miles NW
Tacoma, WA: 33 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 61 miles SW

8. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Issaquah, WA (King County)

Population: 23,186

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $71,213
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 58.2%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.08

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 17 miles WNW
Tacoma, WA: 38 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 65 miles SW

9. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Redmond, WA (King County)

Population: 49,637

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $75,427
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 58.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 5.42

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 15 miles WSW
Tacoma, WA: 43 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 71 miles SSW

10. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Bellevue, WA (King County)

Population: 121,337

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $69,029
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 59.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 6.4

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 10 miles W
Tacoma, WA: 37 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 64 miles SSW

11. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Lake Forest Park, WA (King County)

Population: 12,558

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $81,894
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 55.1%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.66

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 11 miles SSW
Tacoma, WA: 46 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 73 miles SSW

12. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - DuPont, WA (Pierce County)

Population: 6,379

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $71,817
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 46.8%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.44

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 47 miles NNE
Tacoma, WA: 16 miles NNE
Olympia, WA: 15 miles SW

13. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Mukilteo, WA (Snohomish County)

Population: 20,338

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $79,722
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 49.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.88

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 26 miles S
Tacoma, WA: 59 miles S
Olympia, WA: 86 miles SSW

14. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Woodinville, WA (King County)

Population: 10,593

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $75,554
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 43.9%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 4.91

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 20 miles SW
Tacoma, WA: 48 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 75 miles SW

15. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Carnation, WA (King County)

Population: 2,046

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $74,793
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 37.5%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 2.21

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 27 miles WSW
Tacoma, WA: 52 miles SW
Olympia, WA: 79 miles SW

16. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Camas, WA (Clark County)

Population: 17,421

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $74,913
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 40.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.97

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Vancouver, WA: 15 miles WNW
Tacoma, WA: 145 miles N
Olympia, WA: 117 miles N

17. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Kirkland, WA (King County)

Population: 47,079

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $66,947
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 52.7%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.44

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 11 miles SW
Tacoma, WA: 42 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 69 miles SW

18. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - West Richland, WA (Benton County)

Population: 10,572

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $80,516
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 34.0%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.31

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Kennewick, WA: 16 miles SE
Pullman, WA: 149 miles ENE
Spokane, WA: 151 miles NE
Olympia, WA: 246 miles WNW

19. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Brier, WA (Snohomish County)

Population: 6,328

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $80,211
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 35%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 3.79

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 14 miles SSW
Tacoma, WA: 49 miles SSW
Olympia, WA: 76 miles SW

20. Best Places to Live in Washington (2012) - Maple Valley, WA (King County)

Population: 19,868

Median household income (adjusted for cost of living): $77,441
Bachelor's degree or higher (25 years and over): 40.3%
Property crime rate per 1,000 residents (burglary and auto thefts): 7.63

Distance to Familiar Cities:

Seattle, WA: 29 miles SW
Tacoma, WA: 26 miles SW
Olympia, WA: 53 miles SW

*In some cases, municipalities either do not report their crime statistics to the FBI or they contract for services with a county law enforcement agency or the state police. For those towns, crime rates are extrapolated from state, county, or contiguous municipality data.

Source(s):

"All Cities in Washington," City-Data.com
" American Community Survey ," U.S. Census Bureau
" American Fact Finder ," U.S. Census Bureau
"Uniform Crime Reports," Federal Bureau of Investigation