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Washington

D+16  ·  Moderate tax burden  ·  COL index 117

B

0%

Income Tax

347

Violent Crime / 100K

79.3

Life Expectancy

$570K

Median Home

$2,100

Childcare / Mo

State Profile

73/100
255075100TAXES64SAFETY65HEALTH82SCHOOLS88AFFORDABLE64LONGEVITY77

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Taxes

Income Tax

No income tax but 7% capital gains tax on gains over $250K

None

Property Tax

~$4,788/yr on median home

0.84% / yr

Sales Tax

9.38% avg

Social Security

Exempt

Pension / IRA

Fully Exempt

Estate Tax

Yes — $2.193M exemption

Inheritance Tax

None

Capital Gains

7% tax on long-term capital gains over $250K threshold

7% rate

Housing & Cost of Living

Cost of Living Index

National avg = 100

117

Median Home Price

$570,000

Median Rent (2BR)

$2,000/mo

Home Insurance

Below national avg (~$1,900/yr)

$900/yr

Flood Insurance

$550/yr

Homestead Exemption

Home equity protected from creditors

$125,000

Asset Protection

Moderate

Crime & Safety

Violent Crime Rate

Near national avg

347 / 100K

Property Crime Rate

Above national avg

3,187 / 100K

Traffic Fatality Rate

9.4 / 100K

Healthcare

State Healthcare Rank

Top tier

#10 of 50

Life Expectancy

Above national avg (76.4)

79.3 yrs

Medicaid Expansion

Expanded

Uninsured Rate

6.5%

Education

K-12 Quality Rank

Top 10 nationally

#7 of 50

School Choice / Vouchers

Not Available

Childcare

Avg Infant Care (Full-Time)

Very expensive (national avg ~$1,200)

$2,100/mo

Utilities & Daily Costs

Avg Monthly Energy Bill

Below national avg

$95/mo

Avg Monthly Groceries

2-person household, moderate spending

$590/mo

Road Quality Rank

#39 of 50

Airports & Travel

Nonstop Destinations

From state's primary airport

155+ routes

Major Hub Airport

Top-25 US airport by passengers

Yes

Culture & Lifestyle

Urban Population

Mix of urban and rural

84% urban

Restaurant Density

510/100K

Religious Congregations

150/100K

Pro Sports Teams

NFL + NBA + MLB + NHL + MLS

5 teams

Major Venues

Stadiums, arenas, amphitheaters (10K+ capacity)

8 venues

Craft Breweries

5.6/100K residents — Strong scene

430 breweries

Craft Distilleries

Strong spirits scene

95 distilleries

Live Music

Seattle grunge heritage (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden); Sasquatch! Festival; Pike Brewing; Chehalis distillery corridor

World-class

Transportation

Car Insurance (Avg Annual)

$1,580

Traffic Fatality Rate

9.4 / 100K

Broadband Access

90% of households

Social & Legal

Abortion Access

No gestational limit; strong state protections

Protected

LGBTQ+ Protections

Comprehensive

Marijuana

Recreational

Minimum Wage

$16.28/hr

Right to Work

No

Sports Betting

Legal

Casino Gambling

Tribal casinos

Online Gambling

Illegal

State Lottery

29 tribal casinos. Card rooms legal. Sports betting via tribal casinos and retail only (no mobile).

Yes

Age of Consent

16

Sex Education

Sex ed required by state

Comprehensive

Medically Accurate Required

Yes

Nude Beaches & Naturist Clubs

Bare Buns Fun Run (Spokane) · Lake Associates Naturist Club · Western Outdoor Club

Nude beach

Environment & Climate

Air Quality (Annual AQI)

Near national avg

40

Natural Disaster Risk

High

Primary Hazards

wildfireearthquakefloodvolcano

Politics & Gun Laws

2024 Presidential Vote

D+16

Gun Laws

Gun ControlA
2A LibertyF

Carry Permit

Shall-issue

Purchase Permit Required

No

Gambling

Legal

Jobs & Economy

Job Market

+1.8% job growth · 4.4% unemployment

Strong

Top Industries

TechnologyAerospaceHealthcare

Tech Jobs

Top tech job market nationally

#2 of 50

Healthcare Jobs

#19 of 50

Remote Work

High remote work culture

31% of workers

Median Household Income

$96,012

Business Climate

Corporate Income Tax

1.5% gross receipts tax applies

Gross receipts tax

LLC Formation Fee

$200 one-time

LLC Annual Fee

$60/yr

Business Climate Rank

#15 of 50

Business & Occupation (B&O) gross receipts tax; rates range 0.138%–1.5% by activity type

Daily Life

Gas Price (Regular)

Well above avg (+0.58 vs national avg)

$3.88/gal

Consumer Fireworks

Ground-based only; aerial/explosive banned statewide

Restricted

Weather & Natural Risks

Winter Severity

Avg January high: 46°F

Mild

Summer Heat

Moderate summers

78°F avg July

Annual Rainfall

38" / yr

Tornado Risk

Very Low

Hurricane Risk

Very Low

Wildfire Risk

High

Flood Risk

Moderate

Natural Hazards

31MODERATE danger
Murder hornet GROUND ZERO (Blaine WA first detection 2019)Cascadia subduction zone M9 overdueWildfire HIGHMt. Rainier lahar zone

Venomous Snakes

Moderate

Spider Hazard

Moderate

Scorpions

Low

Hurricane Risk

Minimal

Tornado Risk

Minimal

Wildfire Risk

High

Earthquake Risk

High

Murder Hornets

Active Expansion Zone

Danger score is a composite index. Methodology ↗

Veteran Benefits

Veteran-Friendly Score

8.5% of state population are veterans

82/100

Property Tax Exemption

Disabled vet property tax exemption

Partial

Military Retirement Pay

Tax Exempt

Active Duty Pay

Tax Exempt

VA Facilities Access

Good

Notable Benefits

No income tax. Strong military community.

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Compare Similar States

WA vs MD

Washington vs Maryland

COL 117 vs 116 · No vs 5.75% income tax

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WA vs CT

Washington vs Connecticut

COL 117 vs 114 · No vs 6.99% income tax

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WA vs NH

Washington vs New Hampshire

COL 117 vs 114 · No vs No income tax

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WA vs RI

Washington vs Rhode Island

COL 117 vs 114 · No vs 5.99% income tax

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Trending in Washington

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Signatures submitted for Washington initiative to repeal legislation establishing an income tax for households earning over $1 million and ban income taxes in general - Ballotpedia News

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Washington governor, AG and state lawmakers get 7% pay hikes - Washington State Standard

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Stay Current

Get notified when Washington tax laws, gun laws, or social policy changes.

Washington Guides

taxes

Washington vs. Oregon: The Pacific Northwest Decision

Washington has no income tax. Oregon has no sales tax. Those two facts define one of the most intere

Data is informational only. Verify with a tax professional, real estate agent, and local sources before making relocation decisions. Crime data: FBI UCR ~2022. Healthcare: Commonwealth Fund / US News ~2023. Education: Education Week ~2023. Housing: Zillow / Census ACS ~2024. Insurance: rate surveys ~2024. Sponsored links marked “Sponsored” may earn a commission. This does not affect our data or rankings.

Your Priorities

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Quick Profiles

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Annual Income

$150K

Affects effective income tax rate

$0$500K$5M+

Retirement Savings

$0

Affects pension and SS tax burden

None$500K$10M+

Social Security

None

Annual Social Security benefit

None$150K/yr

My Property Is Worth

$400K

Affects property tax burden

Tax burden ↓$1M$50M+

Home Buying Budget

$400K

Compared to state median home price

Hard to find$250K$5M+

Monthly Rent Budget

Don't care

Compared to state median 2BR rent

Don't care$10K/mo

Job Market

Don't care

State unemployment and job growth

Don't careHot market

Airport Access

Don't care

Direct flight destinations from state hubs

Don't careMust have hub

City vs Country

Mid-size city

% urban population

Deep countryBig city

Sunshine

Don't care

Annual sunny days per state

Don't careMax sunshine

Food Scene

Don't care

Restaurants per 100K residents

Don't careWorld-class

Political Preference

Neutral

State's political lean

LiberalConservative

Gun Laws

Neutral

State gun law grade (Giffords)

Gun Control2A Freedom

Abortion Access

Neutral

State abortion access policy

Pro-ChoiceNeutralPro-Life

Community

None

Congregations per 100K residents

AvoidDon't careSeek

Sports & Entertainment

Don't care

Pro sports teams and major venues

Don't careMust have pro teams

Cannabis Laws

Neutral

State cannabis legality

Prefer LegalNeutralPrefer Prohibition

Retiree Community

Neutral

% population 65+ (Census)

Young areaRetirement-heavy

Dating Market

Neutral

% adults never-married (Census)

Singles sceneFamily community

Safety / Low Crime

Don't care

Violent crime rate per 100K (FBI)

Don't careVery safe

School Quality

Don't care

K-12 rank (Education Week)

Don't careTop-ranked

Healthcare Access

Don't care

Healthcare system rank (Commonwealth Fund)

Don't careTop-ranked

Childcare Affordability

Don't care

Cost of living proxy for childcare affordability

Don't careMust be affordable