Where are Washington’s poorest counties? See incomes, home values
When it comes to wealth, some parts of Washington state lag behind others, according to SmartAsset.
The financial advising website created an interactive map showing the wealthiest and poorest counties in the Evergreen State based on earnings, investment income and home value in 2025, the most recent data available.
Washington’s poorest counties are scattered across the state.
Here’s which counties made the list:
What’s the poorest county in Washington state?
According to SmartAsset the Washington county with the least overall wealth in 2025 was Ferry County, home to the city of Republic. It’s on the north border of the Evergreen State.
“Often described as one of the last frontiers of the American West, Ferry County combines a rugged mountain environment dominated by mining and logging industries with the breathtaking beauty of a wilderness retreat,” Ferry County said on its website.
An estimated 7,000 people called Ferry County home as of July 2024, according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Ferry County residents had a median annual income of $54,650, and earned $24,872 each year in median investment income, SmartAsset said.
Ferry County homes have a median value of $274,318, according to SmartAsset.
The average home in Washington state was valued at $585,669 as of Friday, Feb. 20, according to real estate website Zillow.
In comparison, residents in Washington’s richest county — King County — earned a median annual income of $122,148 in 2025 with $94,503 in median investment income, according to SmartAsset.
King County homes had a median value of $823,023, SmartAsset said.
Which Washington counties have lowest overall wealth?
According to SmartAsset, these were the 10 counties with the lowest wealth overall in Washington state in 2025:
1. Ferry County
- Median income: $54,650
- Median investment income: $24,872
- Median home value: $274,318
2. Garfield County
- Median income: $62,411
- Median investment income: $13,888
- Median home value: $196,402
3. Whitman County
- Median income: $52,893
- Median investment income: $23,276
- Median home value: $358,953
4. Wahkiakum County
- Median income: $57,091
- Median investment income: $31,851
- Median home value: $366,250
5. Okanogan County
- Median income: $60,293
- Median investment income: $47,579
- Median home value: $298,771
6. Grays Harbor County
- Median income: $63,539
- Median investment income: $30,725
- Median home value: $312,064
7. Pacific County
- Median income: $62,350
- Median investment income: $34,570
- Median home value: $325,355
8. Pend Oreille County
- Median income: $63,750
- Median investment income: $30,973
- Median home value: $355,151
9. Adams County
- Median income: $65,042
- Median investment income: $52,019
- Median home value: $274,354
10. Columbia County
- Median income: $71,528
- Median investment income: $31,153
- Median home value: $261,103
How did Smart Asset rank state’s wealthiest counties?
To rank Washington state’s wealthiest and poorest counties, Smart Asset compared each county’s investment income, property value and median income.
“We started the analysis by calculating the Investment Index for each county by evenly weighing the ordinary dividends, qualified dividends and net capital gains,” the website said. “From there we calculated the median home value and the median income for each county, and ranked them on all three metrics.”