1st Advantage MortgageThe median Skagit County household earns $89,263, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. Those figures describe the county, not you: compare at least three written offers by APR and total cost, and confirm the lender's license before you apply.
On this page
- A quick profile of Skagit County
- Renting and owning in Skagit County
- What Skagit County households earn
- How Skagit County residents earn a living
- Places inside Skagit County
- Counties near Skagit County
- Budget math at the Skagit County median
- People and households in Skagit County
- Borrowing situations common in Skagit County
- Checklist for Skagit County applicants
- Licensing and complaints for Skagit County
- More guides for Skagit County
- Frequently asked questions
A quick profile of Skagit County
With an estimated 131,328 residents (ACS 2020 to 2024), Skagit County ranks 11th of 39 in Washington for population. It covers 1,730 square miles of land, or about 76 people per square mile. It is one of the counties that make up the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA metropolitan statistical area (OMB, 2023). Of the 19 Census places inside Skagit County, Mount Vernon leads by population with about 35,377; 8 of the 19 are incorporated.
Renting and owning in Skagit County
A typical Skagit County rental runs $1,536 a month including utilities, which is 13% below Washington. 54% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 24% spend half or more. Home values center on $545,100, or 6.1 years of median income. Owners occupy 70% of homes. Median construction year: 1986.
| Cost | Skagit County | Washington figure | Median county, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,536/mo | $1,760/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $545,100 | $564,600 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 70% | 64% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 54% | 50% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 33% | 30% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 6.9% | 5.5% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 8% | 7% | n/a |
High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.
What Skagit County households earn
Skagit County households have a median income of $89,263 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 10th of 39 in Washington.
| Band | Skagit County | Compared with Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 18.1% | +2.1 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 37.6% | +2.9 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 32.1% | +1.4 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 12.2% | -6.3 pts |
The spread is wide: 44% of Skagit County households make $100,000 or more, and 18% make less than $35,000. Census counts 11.6% of Skagit County residents in poverty, against 9.9% across Washington. The Gini index of income inequality is 0.433 (0 is perfect equality). A household earning below the $89,263 median should test any payment carefully; one earning above it should still pick the shortest term it can manage.
How Skagit County residents earn a living
By the Census industry count, 23% of employed Skagit County residents work in education and health care and 11% in retail trade. Construction stands out: 10% of workers here, versus 7% statewide. The survey's unemployment rate for Skagit County averages 4.9% over 2020 to 2024 (state: 5.1%). Long commutes are common here: 17% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. Households without a car make up 3.9% of the total (7.1% statewide).
| Top industries | Skagit County share | +/- vs Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 22.7% | +1.0 pts |
| Retail trade | 10.8% | -0.7 pts |
| Manufacturing | 10.4% | +1.4 pts |
| Construction | 9.9% | +2.8 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 9.4% | -5.2 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 9.0% | +0.7 pts |
Where long drives are the norm, a car repair is one of the most common surprise bills. A small repair fund can keep a breakdown from turning into a loan.
Places inside Skagit County
19 Census places fall mainly inside Skagit County; the 14 biggest are below. They account for 85,389 residents, leaving about 35% of the county in unincorporated, unnamed areas. Big Lake has the highest median household income on the list ($109,286) and Bow the lowest ($67,103), counting places with at least 500 residents. Median rent ranges from $731 in Clear Lake to $1,980 in Big Lake. No Skagit County place has a separate guide yet; this county page serves all 19.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Vernon | city | 35,377 | $75,777 | $1,405 | 23 mi |
| Anacortes | city | 17,966 | $91,951 | $1,702 | 37 mi |
| Sedro-Woolley | city | 12,831 | $80,885 | $1,525 | 19 mi |
| Burlington | city | 10,003 | $80,475 | $1,746 | 24 mi |
| Big Lake | CDP | 2,326 | $109,286 | $1,980 | 21 mi |
| Clear Lake | CDP | 1,093 | $71,667 | $731 | 20 mi |
| La Conner | town | 873 | $80,385 | $1,554 | 32 mi |
| Concrete | town | 833 | $81,719 | $1,073 | 4 mi |
| Alger | CDP | 687 | $109,151 | n/a | 25 mi |
| Bow | CDP | 585 | $67,103 | n/a | 27 mi |
| Bay View | CDP | 572 | $90,188 | n/a | 30 mi |
| Lake McMurray | CDP | 569 | n/a | n/a | 23 mi |
| Lyman | town | 437 | $86,875 | $1,179 | 12 mi |
| Lake Cavanaugh | CDP | 304 | $119,318 | n/a | 15 mi |
A CDP is a named community without its own municipal government.
Counties near Skagit County
The six counties whose centers lie closest to Skagit County's, from 24 to 70 miles away. King County leads the group on income ($124,746), Whatcom County trails ($81,784), and Skagit County out-earns 3 of the six.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skagit County | - | $89,263 | $1,536/mo | 70% |
| Whatcom County, WA | 24 mi | $81,784 | $1,555/mo | 64% |
| Snohomish County, WA | 30 mi | $111,246 | $1,949/mo | 68% |
| Island County, WA | 46 mi | $90,551 | $1,662/mo | 75% |
| San Juan County, WA | 59 mi | $84,800 | $1,512/mo | 78% |
| King County, WA | 69 mi | $124,746 | $2,092/mo | 55% |
| Chelan County, WA | 70 mi | $82,381 | $1,226/mo | 65% |
Budget math at the Skagit County median
How much room does a median Skagit County budget have? Take median income, subtract median rent, and check what is left under a few common debt-to-income limits.
- $89,263 a year is $7,439 of gross monthly income
- Housing at the median rent of $1,536 uses 21%
- With a 40% ceiling, about $1,439 remains for car, card, student and any new loan payments
If your rent is above $1,536, the room shrinks dollar for dollar.
People and households in Skagit County
Degree holders: 30% of adults over 25. About 6% go without health insurance.
| People and households | Skagit County | Washington | Median county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.1 | 38.3 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 30.2% | 39.6% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 8.3% | 7.7% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 6.4% | 6.3% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 3.9% | 7.1% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 12.2% | 19.8% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 11.6% | 9.9% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 4.9% | 5.1% | 4.4% |
| One-way commute | Share of Skagit County workers |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 32.9% |
| 15 to 29 min | 30.4% |
| 30 to 44 min | 19.1% |
| 45 to 59 min | 6.8% |
| 60+ min | 10.7% |
Borrowing situations common in Skagit County
The county's numbers point to a few situations that come up often for Skagit County borrowers.
- Strong incomes, long terms. 44% of Skagit County households earn $100,000+. The risk is a term that outlasts the need.
- 54% rent-burdened. A payment on top of high rent needs a cushion; size it with the calculator.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Skagit County borrower sees (free reports).
Checklist for Skagit County applicants
Quick steps for Skagit County:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Compare the total repaid on every offer, not just the payment.
- Verify the Washington license before giving out your Social Security number.
- Ask about early-payoff penalties.
Licensing and complaints for Skagit County
Before sharing details with a lender, a Skagit County resident can confirm its license with the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions. Federal complaints: consumerfinance.gov. Statewide data and rules: Washington guide.
More guides for Skagit County
The Washington guide covers the whole state.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median household income in Skagit County?
$89,263 a year in the 2020 to 2024 Census survey, versus $98,141 for Washington. It ranks 10th of 39 in the state.
What do renters pay in Skagit County?
$1,536 a month at the median, about 21% of median household income.
Should Skagit County homeowners use home equity instead?
Maybe, but weigh the risk: 70% of Skagit County homes are owner-occupied, and a home-equity loan or line is secured by the house while a personal loan usually is not.
Does this page cover Mount Vernon?
Yes, along with the other 18 Census places in Skagit County, such as Anacortes, Sedro-Woolley, Burlington.
Will a Skagit County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Washington as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.