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All Anacortes data Compare Anacortes

17,966people live here $91,951median household income▲ 14% above US $1,702median rent per month▲ 20% above US $696,700median home value▲ 109% above US

What it's like to live in Anacortes

Anacortes is a small city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Anacortes deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, larger class sizes than the national average, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Clean air
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
High student-teacher ratio
Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options

How Anacortes compares

Median household income

Anacortes$91,951

Washington avg$98,141

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Anacortes$1,702

Washington avg$1,760

US$1,413

Median home value

Anacortes$696,700

Washington avg$564,600

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Anacortes

Based on Anacortes's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$3,404

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $68,080 a year
47% of Anacortes renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$139,340

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $69,670
Homes cost 7.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 20% above US

$1,702/mo median rent

Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,702 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $696,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $696,700 · 47% of renters cost-burdened

Job market

4.7% county unemployment

Unemployment in Skagit County is 4.7%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.

Skagit County (county-wide)

Safety▼ 78% below US

71 violent crimes per 100k

Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.

Property crime 1243/100k · Anacortes Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

24 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

69%

Work from home

16%

Carpool

8.0%

Walk

3.5%

Other

2.3%

Public transit

1.1%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 73°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▲ 31% above US

47% bachelor's degree or higher

The population is well-educated, with 47% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.

Schools

8 public schools inside the boundary

There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve (19 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Anacortes's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,702/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.

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