Snohomish County vs Thurston County
A side-by-side comparison of Snohomish County and Thurston County: population, income, housing, and more.
Snohomish County and Thurston County are counties in Washington. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
Snohomish County has the higher population (834,648 vs 296,640 in Thurston County). Snohomish County has the higher median household income ($107,982 vs $93,985 in Thurston County). Snohomish County has the higher median home value ($644,600 vs $451,500 in Thurston County).
Population, income & housing
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 834,648 | 296,640 |
| Median age | 38.4 yrs | 39.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $107,982 | $93,985 |
| Median home value | $644,600 | $451,500 |
| Median gross rent | $1,866 | $1,634 |
| Housing units | 327,893 | 123,333 |
| Homeownership rate | 68.4% | 67.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.8% | 37.2% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 5.2% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 798,808 → 834,648 (+4.5%) | 279,711 → 296,640 (+6.1%) |
| Median household income | $86,691 → $107,982 (+24.6%) | $72,003 → $93,985 (+30.5%) |
| Median home value | $403,000 → $644,600 (+60.0%) | $287,900 → $451,500 (+56.8%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,438 → $1,866 (+29.8%) | $1,218 → $1,634 (+34.2%) |
Snohomish County
798,808834,648
$86,691$107,982
$403,000$644,600
$1,438$1,866
Thurston County
279,711296,640
$72,003$93,985
$287,900$451,500
$1,218$1,634
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 6.1% | 5.4% |
| 5 to 17 | 16.3% | 15.7% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 7.6% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.8% | 14.3% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.3% | 14.3% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.9% | 11.9% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.9% | 12.4% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.1% | 11.3% |
| 75 and over | 5.3% | 7.0% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 63.6% | 70.6% |
| Black or African American | 3.5% | 3.2% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.7% | 0.9% |
| Asian | 12.8% | 5.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| Some other race | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races | 6.4% | 7.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 11.8% | 10.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 6.9% | 5.5% |
| High school graduate | 22.7% | 22.1% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.5% | 35.2% |
| Bachelor's degree | 24.2% | 23.0% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 12.6% | 14.2% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 66.6% | 69.2% |
| Carpooled | 9.2% | 8.2% |
| Public transit | 3.1% | 1.4% |
| Walked | 1.7% | 2.2% |
| Bicycle | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 18.1% | 17.3% |
| Other means | 1.1% | 1.4% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 64.1% | 67.2% |
| 1-unit, attached | 4.9% | 4.3% |
| 2 to 4 units | 5.7% | 5.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 10.1% | 7.3% |
| 20 or more units | 10.3% | 6.7% |
| Mobile home & other | 4.9% | 8.6% |
Poverty & households
| Snohomish County | Thurston County | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 7.9% | 9.7% |
| Average household size | 2.64 | 2.50 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 31 | 26 |
| Median year structure built | 1989 | 1991 |
Full profiles
2Related rankings
21- Largest by population — counties in Washington
- Most densely populated — counties in Washington
- Highest median household income — counties in Washington
- Highest median home value — counties in Washington
- Most affordable home values — counties in Washington
- Highest median gross rent — counties in Washington
- Cheapest median gross rent — counties in Washington
- Oldest by median age — counties in Washington
- Youngest by median age — counties in Washington
- Most college-educated — counties in Washington
- Highest poverty rate — counties in Washington
- Lowest poverty rate — counties in Washington
- Highest homeownership rate — counties in Washington
- Lowest homeownership rate — counties in Washington
- Longest commutes — counties in Washington
- Shortest commutes — counties in Washington
- Largest households — counties in Washington
- Newest housing — counties in Washington
- Oldest housing — counties in Washington
- Fastest-growing (2019–2023) — counties in Washington
- Fastest-shrinking (2019–2023) — counties in Washington