Data / Rankings / Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) / Counties in Washington

Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)

Whitman County had the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income) of 39 counties in 2021, at 62.6%. Lincoln County had the lowest, at 24.9%. The median was 47.3% and the figure for Washington was 48.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest62.6Whitman County
Lowest24.9Lincoln County
Median47.339 counties
Washington48.2History

Map of counties, 2021

Adams County: 37.7 %Asotin County: 46.5 %Benton County: 45.3 %Chelan County: 38.4 %Clallam County: 49.8 %Clark County: 49.9 %Columbia County: 39.2 %Cowlitz County: 50.1 %Douglas County: 38.4 %Ferry County: 37.5 %Franklin County: 47.1 %Garfield County: 36.8 %Grant County: 38 %Grays Harbor County: 47.3 %Island County: 49.5 %Jefferson County: 43.5 %King County: 45.9 %Kitsap County: 50 %Kittitas County: 53.4 %Klickitat County: 57.2 %Lewis County: 47.7 %Lincoln County: 24.9 %Mason County: 44.5 %Okanogan County: 38.6 %Pacific County: 45.6 %Pend Oreille County: 50.7 %Pierce County: 50.9 %San Juan County: 48.8 %Skagit County: 49.7 %Skamania County: 44.4 %Snohomish County: 50.8 %Spokane County: 50.1 %Stevens County: 43.1 %Thurston County: 52 %Wahkiakum County: 62.6 %Walla Walla County: 52.6 %Whatcom County: 55 %Whitman County: 62.6 %Yakima County: 43.4 %
  • Under 38
  • 38 to 44
  • 44 to 47
  • 47 to 50
  • 50 to 52
  • 52 and over
%, 2021. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All counties, 2021

Whitman County: 62.6 %Whitman County62.6Wahkiakum County: 62.6 %Wahkiakum County62.6Klickitat County: 57.2 %Klickitat County57.2Whatcom County: 55 %Whatcom County55Kittitas County: 53.4 %Kittitas County53.4Walla Walla County: 52.6 %Walla Walla County52.6Thurston County: 52 %Thurston County52Pierce County: 50.9 %Pierce County50.9Snohomish County: 50.8 %Snohomish County50.8Pend Oreille County: 50.7 %Pend Oreille County50.7Cowlitz County: 50.1 %Cowlitz County50.1Spokane County: 50.1 %Spokane County50.1Kitsap County: 50 %Kitsap County50Clark County: 49.9 %Clark County49.9Clallam County: 49.8 %Clallam County49.8Skagit County: 49.7 %Skagit County49.7Island County: 49.5 %Island County49.5San Juan County: 48.8 %San Juan County48.8Lewis County: 47.7 %Lewis County47.7Grays Harbor County: 47.3 %Grays Harbor County47.3Franklin County: 47.1 %Franklin County47.1Asotin County: 46.5 %Asotin County46.5King County: 45.9 %King County45.9Pacific County: 45.6 %Pacific County45.6Benton County: 45.3 %Benton County45.3Mason County: 44.5 %Mason County44.5Skamania County: 44.4 %Skamania County44.4Jefferson County: 43.5 %Jefferson County43.5Yakima County: 43.4 %Yakima County43.4Stevens County: 43.1 %Stevens County43.1Columbia County: 39.2 %Columbia County39.2Okanogan County: 38.6 %Okanogan County38.6Douglas County: 38.4 %Douglas County38.4Chelan County: 38.4 %Chelan County38.4Grant County: 38 %Grant County38Adams County: 37.7 %Adams County37.7Ferry County: 37.5 %Ferry County37.5Garfield County: 36.8 %Garfield County36.8Lincoln County: 24.9 %Lincoln County24.9Whitman County: 62.6 %Whitman County62.6Wahkiakum County: 62.6 %Wahkiakum County62.6Klickitat County: 57.2 %Klickitat County57.2Whatcom County: 55 %Whatcom County55Kittitas County: 53.4 %Kittitas County53.4Walla Walla County: 52.6 %Walla Walla County52.6Thurston County: 52 %Thurston County52Pierce County: 50.9 %Pierce County50.9Snohomish County: 50.8 %Snohomish County50.8Pend Oreille County: 50.7 %Pend Oreille County50.7Cowlitz County: 50.1 %Cowlitz County50.1Spokane County: 50.1 %Spokane County50.1Kitsap County: 50 %Kitsap County50Clark County: 49.9 %Clark County49.9Clallam County: 49.8 %Clallam County49.8Skagit County: 49.7 %Skagit County49.7Island County: 49.5 %Island County49.5San Juan County: 48.8 %San Juan County48.8Lewis County: 47.7 %Lewis County47.7Grays Harbor County: 47.3 %Grays Harbor County47.3Franklin County: 47.1 %Franklin County47.1Asotin County: 46.5 %Asotin County46.5King County: 45.9 %King County45.9Pacific County: 45.6 %Pacific County45.6Benton County: 45.3 %Benton County45.3Mason County: 44.5 %Mason County44.5Skamania County: 44.4 %Skamania County44.4Jefferson County: 43.5 %Jefferson County43.5Yakima County: 43.4 %Yakima County43.4Stevens County: 43.1 %Stevens County43.1Columbia County: 39.2 %Columbia County39.2Okanogan County: 38.6 %Okanogan County38.6Douglas County: 38.4 %Douglas County38.4Chelan County: 38.4 %Chelan County38.4Grant County: 38 %Grant County38Adams County: 37.7 %Adams County37.7Ferry County: 37.5 %Ferry County37.5Garfield County: 36.8 %Garfield County36.8Lincoln County: 24.9 %Lincoln County24.9
%. Source: Invokely calculation with data from U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankCounties2021 (%)
1Whitman County62.6
2Wahkiakum County62.6
3Klickitat County57.2
4Whatcom County55
5Kittitas County53.4
6Walla Walla County52.6
7Thurston County52
8Pierce County50.9
9Snohomish County50.8
10Pend Oreille County50.7
11Cowlitz County50.1
12Spokane County50.1
13Kitsap County50
14Clark County49.9
15Clallam County49.8
16Skagit County49.7
17Island County49.5
18San Juan County48.8
19Lewis County47.7
20Grays Harbor County47.3
21Franklin County47.1
22Asotin County46.5
23King County45.9
24Pacific County45.6
25Benton County45.3
26Mason County44.5
27Skamania County44.4
28Jefferson County43.5
29Yakima County43.4
30Stevens County43.1
31Columbia County39.2
32Okanogan County38.6
33Douglas County38.4
34Chelan County38.4
35Grant County38
36Adams County37.7
37Ferry County37.5
38Garfield County36.8
39Lincoln County24.9

Other periods

About this ranking

Renter households whose gross rent (contract rent plus utilities and fuels the renter pays) was 30 percent or more of household income in the past 12 months, as a percentage of renter households for which that ratio can be computed. United States: American Community Survey five-year estimate, where the period shown is the last year of the five-year span.

Renters who pay no cash rent and households with no or negative income are left out of both the count and the base. 30 percent is the usual US threshold for rent burden. The EU housing cost overburden rate (housing_cost_overburden_rate) uses 40 percent of disposable income, all housing costs and people instead of households, so the two cannot be compared.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs (Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat

MLA 9

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. U.S. Census Bureau, 29 Jan. 2026, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/washington-counties?period=2021. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/washington-counties?period=2021.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs, Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/washington-counties?period=2021 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_counties_in_washington_by_2021,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/washington-counties?period=2021. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary\_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs: Counties in Washington by rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income), 2021
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/01/29
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/washington-counties?period=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rent-burdened-households/washington-counties?period=2021.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2021/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2021-b25070.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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rank_places {"indicator":"rent_burden_30_plus_share","level":"province","within":"Washington","limit":10}
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Questions

Which county has the highest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Whitman County, with 62.6% in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income)?

Lincoln County, with 24.9% in 2021.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25070: renter-occupied units with gross rent of 30 percent or more of household income, as a percentage of units where it is computed, calculated with stored inputs. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Rent-burdened renter households (rent 30 percent or more of income): other rankings

Counties in Washington: more rankings