What it's like to live in Shelton
Shelton is a small city in Washington with air quality that stays clean most of the year, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Shelton deals with county unemployment above the national average, crime rates above the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Clean air
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Very rainy — 68" of rain per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Shelton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Shelton
Based on Shelton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,730
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,600 a year
- 51% of Shelton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$69,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $34,570
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,365/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,365 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $345,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $345,700 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Mason County is 5.4%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Mason County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 38% above US
453 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2256/100k · Shelton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 76°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 33°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 50% below US
18% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (45 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Shelton's strongest points are air quality that stays clean most of the year and a growing population; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,365/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Shelton
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