Find a Job You Really Want In
Ever wondered where in the country people are happiest? Better yet, what cities in your state have the secret sauce for happiness?
Just like where you work and what you do, where you live can have major implications for your quality of life. We set out to find the cities in Washington where life is sweetest, the wages are high, and people aren’t wasting their lives away in cars,
The results? Happiness comes in small packages.
The result is this list of the best cities for :
- Snoqualmie, WA
- Felida, WA
- Cottage Lake, WA
- Mercer Island, WA
- Union Hill-Novelty Hill, WA
- Silver Firs, WA
- Duvall, WA
- Sammamish, WA
- Artondale, WA
- Redmond, WA
These are the happiest places in Washington. Keep reading to see what has everyone grinning so much.
How did we determined the happiest places to live in Washington?
We turned happiness into a science and scoured the state to find the cities with all the ingredients for happiness:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Percent of households earning above $75,000
- Median home prices
- A short commute to work (Traffic = unhappiness)
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
We examined over 188 cities, to find the cities that have all of the above in spades.
While some may be confused to see marriage rates included in our metrics, studies show that married people are typically happier than unmarried people. However, it is worth noting that marriage doesn’t cause happiness. In fact, people leaving a bad marriage experience spikes of happiness. However, a happy marriage and positive social interactions are important for mood and mental health.
Similarly, if you’re scratching your head to see $75,000 as the cut-off for happiness, blame Purdue University. Their study found that amount meets basic needs and frees people from the pitfalls of deep financial insecurity that cause unhappiness.
All of our data comes from the most recent American Community Survey.
Keep reading for more on why each of these 10 places is brimming with happiness—or hop to the bottom to see where your city landed on the list.
1. Snoqualmie
Population: 13,317
Earners Over $75k: 84.5%
Average Commute: 32
Marriage Rate: 23.0%
Snoqualmie is the happiest city in all of Washington. What makes Snoqualmie residents so happy? They aren’t wasting their lives on long commutes for one. The average Snoqualmie resident only drives 32.1 minuted to work. Toss in affordable housing and the fact that most Snoqualmie residents are coming home to a loving partner and it’s easy to see the city has a lot going for it.
2. Felida
Population: 8,311
Earners Over $75k: 80.3%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 20.0%
In 2nd place we have Felida. Residents of Felida are highly educated, with an impressive 59.0% having at least a bachelor’s degree. And in this modern day, education means options, and folks in Felida have plenty of them.
3. Cottage Lake
Population: 23,955
Earners Over $75k: 80.8%
Average Commute: 31
Marriage Rate: 18.0%
Cottage Lake is the third happiest city in Washington. Why so happy? 18.0% of Cottage Lake residents come home to a partner to share their life burdens. Bonus? Short commutes give them more time to spend with all their loved ones or on hobbies they enjoy.
4. Mercer Island
Population: 25,492
Earners Over $75k: 74.3%
Average Commute: 25
Marriage Rate: 15.0%
Folks in Mercer Island have a lot to smile about. An impressive 74.3% of Mercer Island households earn $75,000 or more. That means families in Mercer Island can afford peace of mind.
5. Union Hill-Novelty Hill
Population: 22,034
Earners Over $75k: 75.5%
Average Commute: 30
Marriage Rate: 14.0%
Union Hill-Novelty Hill is the 5th happiest city in the whole state. Union Hill-Novelty Hill residents’ moods are kept high by reasonable home prices (the median home price in this Washington city is only $738,800), happy marriages, and short commutes.
6. Silver Firs
Population: 22,052
Earners Over $75k: 80.6%
Average Commute: 36
Marriage Rate: 20.0%
Looking to relocate? Data says you should give Silver Firs a second look because it has all the ingredients for happiness. A staggering 80.6% of households earn over 75,000. Toss in high marriage rates and reasonable commutes, and it’s easy to see those who call Silver Firs home have a lot to be happy about.
7. Duvall
Population: 7,811
Earners Over $75k: 82.0%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 17.0%
Duvall is the 7th happiest city. Duvall residents pull in respectable salaries and manage to do it, on average, within 33.2 minutes of their home. They can use all that extra time saved from a long commute to indulge in hobbies they’re passionate about.
8. Sammamish
Population: 64,049
Earners Over $75k: 85.0%
Average Commute: 33
Marriage Rate: 12.0%
Sammamish residents are highly educated with good incomes, decent marriage rates, and reasonable commutes. What’s not to be happy about?
9. Artondale
Population: 13,172
Earners Over $75k: 67.7%
Average Commute: 28
Marriage Rate: 24.0%
The 9th happiest city in all of Washington is Artondale. The average commute in Artondale is only 28.2 minutes. That means they are only 28.2 minutes away from the loving spouse 24.0% of them have.
10. Redmond
Population: 63,197
Earners Over $75k: 71.8%
Average Commute: 23
Marriage Rate: 8.0%
In 10th place is Redmond, Washington. What makes Redmond so great? Affordable housing, reasonable commutes, and healthy incomes. If happiness is contagious, moving here might be worth a try.
And that’s our list of the happiest cities in Washington
There you have it, happiness is a place.
While we can’t guarantee everyone living and working in the top 10 cities is happy, they have a better chance the most.
If you are looking to improve your own happiness, check out how you can help improve your personal factors: housing costs, job satisfaction, income, and education.
If your city didn’t make the top 10, check out the list below to see whether it missed the cut by a hair or if folks there are struggling to escape despair.
Detailed List Of The Happiest Cities In
| Rank | City | High Earners |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snoqualmie | 84.5% |
| 2 | Felida | 80.3% |
| 3 | Cottage Lake | 80.8% |
| 4 | Mercer Island | 74.3% |
| 5 | Union Hill-Novelty Hill | 75.5% |
| 6 | Silver Firs | 80.6% |
| 7 | Duvall | 82.0% |
| 8 | Sammamish | 85.0% |
| 9 | Artondale | 67.7% |
| 10 | Redmond | 71.8% |
| 11 | Newcastle | 71.2% |
| 12 | Maple Valley | 71.4% |
| 13 | West Richland | 60.7% |
| 14 | Mill Creek East | 77.3% |
| 15 | Bothell West | 67.2% |
| 16 | Maltby | 70.5% |
| 17 | Eastmont | 72.3% |
| 18 | Cavalero | 77.3% |
| 19 | Camas | 66.2% |
| 20 | East Renton Highlands | 62.3% |
| 21 | Brier | 77.0% |
| 22 | Normandy Park | 60.9% |
| 23 | Bothell East | 71.2% |
| 24 | Wollochet | 62.5% |
| 25 | Lake Forest Park | 71.4% |
| 26 | Bellevue | 68.2% |
| 27 | Liberty Lake | 46.1% |
| 28 | Picnic Point | 68.5% |
| 29 | Lake Tapps | 70.4% |
| 30 | Bothell | 59.3% |
| 31 | Kenmore | 64.1% |
| 32 | Hobart | 67.6% |
| 33 | Barberton | 66.1% |
| 34 | Woodinville | 62.0% |
| 35 | Mukilteo | 66.0% |
| 36 | Edgewood | 63.8% |
| 37 | Kirkland | 67.1% |
| 38 | Hockinson | 66.4% |
| 39 | Issaquah | 64.6% |
| 40 | Ridgefield | 69.9% |
| 41 | Martha Lake | 61.5% |
| 42 | Lake Stevens | 60.8% |
| 43 | Lake Morton-Berrydale | 66.5% |
| 44 | Gig Harbor | 51.9% |
| 45 | Mill Creek | 63.8% |
| 46 | Dupont | 57.4% |
| 47 | Lake Shore | 58.5% |
| 48 | Selah | 32.7% |
| 49 | Ferndale | 44.1% |
| 50 | North Bend | 63.0% |
| 51 | Covington | 66.7% |
| 52 | Fircrest | 50.8% |
| 53 | Bonney Lake | 60.4% |
| 54 | Fairwood Cdp (King County) | 61.5% |
| 55 | Edmonds | 59.0% |
| 56 | University Place | 46.4% |
| 57 | Bainbridge Island | 67.2% |
| 58 | Woods Creek | 64.0% |
| 59 | Anacortes | 45.6% |
| 60 | Washougal | 56.5% |
| 61 | Shoreline | 54.2% |
| 62 | Monroe | 52.8% |
| 63 | Richland | 49.6% |
| 64 | Lynden | 39.6% |
| 65 | Tumwater | 43.7% |
| 66 | South Hill | 55.9% |
| 67 | Ephrata | 40.5% |
| 68 | Stanwood | 42.2% |
| 69 | Salmon Creek | 53.0% |
| 70 | Lakeland South | 52.2% |
| 71 | Arlington | 50.7% |
| 72 | Seattle | 55.4% |
| 73 | Lake Stickney | 54.6% |
| 74 | Steilacoom | 51.5% |
| 75 | Otis Orchards-East Farms | 51.8% |
| 76 | Fairwood Cdp (Spokane County) | 42.2% |
| 77 | Mount Vista | 54.3% |
| 78 | Graham | 56.4% |
| 79 | Snohomish | 43.4% |
| 80 | Summit | 48.5% |
| 81 | East Wenatchee | 31.9% |
| 82 | Waller | 51.9% |
| 83 | Maplewood | 64.5% |
| 84 | Alderwood Manor | 53.7% |
| 85 | Marysville | 51.2% |
| 86 | Blaine | 45.8% |
| 87 | Mountlake Terrace | 48.7% |
| 88 | Sumner | 39.4% |
| 89 | Clarkston Heights-Vineland | 48.1% |
| 90 | Sudden Valley | 55.8% |
| 91 | Woodland | 39.6% |
| 92 | Camano | 51.8% |
| 93 | Minnehaha | 55.4% |
| 94 | Poulsbo | 45.8% |
| 95 | Burien | 41.6% |
| 96 | Port Townsend | 31.8% |
| 97 | East Port Orchard | 34.1% |
| 98 | Terrace Heights | 37.3% |
| 99 | Prosser | 29.9% |
| 100 | Manchester | 48.9% |
Author
Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.
