Washington State Surprisingly Affordable?

What? Washington is the 4th most expensive state for housing in the country! How on earth can we be considered "affordable?" According to a detailed report in USA Today, Washington is the 5th most affordable state in the USA. There is a large caveat to that declaration, "Median Income." The USA Today study was based on median income. Washington has one of the highest median incomes in the USA at $91,360, in fact just $200 ANNUALLY less than California. The not so Golden State ranked 49th on the list. Why was California ranked so poorly, well because EVERYTHING in that state is more expensive.

Washington scored well because it was based on discretionary income after the basic expenses of housing, food, utilities, taxes, healthcare, and gasoline. Take a look at the report here. Our rival and neighbor Oregon ranked poorly at number 46 due largely to its much lower median income and its brutal median income tax which was ranked dead last as the highest in the land.

So the caveat is that on this site we look at retirees which most often are not making the same levels of income they made while working. If we eliminate median income as a driver, the US News & World Report study dated 2022 had Washington at number 45 slightly worse than Oregon but better than California which ranked in at 49th on that list too. Washington was ranked as the #2 best state to live in that year, behind only Utah and well ahead of Oregon at 23 and California at 33. So what it lacked in affordability it made up for in other areas.

Here is a top and bottom chart from the USA Today study.