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Cost of Living in Island County

About Island County

Island County is a Washington State county. Its population is 85,000 people. Its county seat is Coupeville, and the largest city is Oak Harbor.

The county's name reflects the fact that it is composed largely of islands. It contains two large islands (Whidbey and Camano) and seven smaller islands (Baby, Ben Ure, Deception, Kalamut, Minor, Smith, and Strawberry). Island County was created out of Thurston County on December 22, 1852. It originally comprised what are now Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and San Juan Counties.

Cost of Living in Island County

In 2018, Island County's per capita personal income was $55,724, the fifth-highest among counties in Washington. For comparison, Washington's per capita income was $62,026 and the national per capita income was $54,446. The median hourly wage (adjusted for inflation) for jobs in Island County in 2018 was $20,90 compared to the $25,98 state median wage.

Median household income in 2019 for Island County residents was $72,066, below the state ($78,687) but above the national median ($65,712).

In 2019, 6.6% of Island County’s population was living below the poverty level, lower than the state at 9.8% and the nation at 12.3%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The median household income in Island County is $64,800, which is more than the median annual income across the entire US. The economy of Island County employs 32,200 people. The largest industries are Health Care & Social Assistance, including 4,400 people, Retail Trade (3,700 people) and Manufacturing (3,680 people). The industries, which are highly paid, are Management of Companies & Enterprises ($ 114), Mining, Quarrying, Oil and Gas Extraction ($72) and Professional, Scientific $ Technical Services ($61,438).

The typical home value of homes in Island County is $483,983. This value is seasonally adjusted and only includes the middle price tier of homes. Island County home values have gone up 13.7% over the past year.

But how much does it cost to live in Island County?

Let’s take a look at the infographic below.

Cost of Living in Whidbey Island
Cost of Living in Whidbey Island

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