Ferndale, WA
Census place 5323620 · pop 15,999
Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$549,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.3% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,109/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
12.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
91/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.43 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
8.6% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
67.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
36.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$87,579 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
22 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.1% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.68% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
27.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+13.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
17.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
33 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Not measured for Ferndale: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Ferndale, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Ferndale scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is housing cost. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Ferndale, WA expensive to live in?
- Ferndale has a median home value of $549,300 and typical rent around $2,109/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Ferndale, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($549,300) — 17/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Ferndale, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (33 AQI) — 91/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.