Snohomish County vs Spokane County
Snohomish County, Washington versus Spokane County, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Snohomish County and Spokane County score about the same overall (50 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Snohomish County | Spokane County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $104k | $70k |
| Cost of Living | $71k | $45k |
| Home Value | $593k | $332k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.82% | 0.90% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.79% | 7.32% |
| Unemployment | 4.4% | 5.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 65°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.4 in | 19.9 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 7.2 in | 45.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 220 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 46°F |
| Comfortable Days | 103 days | 60 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 97.9 | 90.0 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 76.1 | 76.0 |
| Violent Crime | 759/100k | 1567/100k |
| Property Crime | 2207/100k | 3780/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 828,337 | 538,711 |
| Median Age | 38.3 | 38.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.50 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+21 | Even |
| White (%) | 65.5% | 82.4% |
| Black (%) | 3.4% | 1.8% |
| Hispanic (%) | 11.1% | 6.5% |
| Asian (%) | 12.2% | 2.2% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 32 min | 22 min |
| Walkability | 10.7/20 | 11.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 51 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.4% | 90.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.00 | 10.27 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Snohomish County or Spokane County more affordable?
- Spokane County has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Snohomish County's $71k and Spokane County's $45k. Median rent is $2k in Snohomish County versus $1k in Spokane County.
- Is Snohomish County or Spokane County safer?
- Snohomish County has the lower violent crime rate. Snohomish County reports 759/100k and Spokane County reports 1567/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Snohomish County or Spokane County?
- The median home value is $593k in Snohomish County and $332k in Spokane County, so homes are more affordable in Spokane County.