State relocation profile · Federal data
Washington
Washington sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 107.0
- Cost index (US=100)
- $1,471
- 2BR rent / mo
- $86,472
- Median salary
- 45.8
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Washington ranks #36 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (45.8/100, D), with its strongest marks in wages and schools.
- #36 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 45.8
- Life Score · D
- 107.0
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $86,472
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: childcare (9/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Washington ranks #36 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 107.0 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $1,471/mo, median salary $86,472; Life Score 45.8/100 (D), strongest in wages and schools.
Signature: BEA RPP 107.0 ranks #46 of 51 states for higher prices (dearer third of the corpus).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 107.0 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $1,471/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $86,472.
Composite Life Score 45.8/100 (D) puts Washington in the bottom third (#36 of 51).
Metro book is dense (11 MSAs); drill a named metro before treating the state average as a destination.
Life Score plate
Sheet WA · Washington 45.8/100 · D · #36 of 51
LIFE-D · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-D Life Score D
- RANK-LOWER #36/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.8 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 107.0
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Tennessee ( -0.8 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Washington
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Washington on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Washington childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Washington (infant $15,987/yr leads the book).
Washington Life Score breakdown
Washington composites to 45.8/100 (D) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #36 of 51.
Washington - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
96 /100
- Schools
Schools
82 /100
- Environment
Environment
56 /100
- Safety
Safety
40 /100
- Rent 26
Rent
26 /100
- Cost of living 10
Cost of living
10 /100
- Childcare 9
Childcare
9 /100
What this shows Washington's strongest dimensions are wages and schools; its weakest among scored dims is childcare at 9/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Washington on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Washington on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Washington
Explore detailed relocation data for 11 metropolitan areas in Washington. Washington contains 11 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Bellingham, Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, Kennewick-Richland and more - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Bellingham metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Washington cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Washington wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.