Double bluff whidbey island · Photo: Jtmorgan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Island County, Washington
86,836 residents · Updated Nov 12, 2026
The community services in Island County, from the data behind Range Lab’s tools, refreshed daily.
Double bluff whidbey island · Photo: Jtmorgan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
9,084 ±562
25% of occupied homes
$63,319 ±2,985
Affords $1,583/month at 30% of income
59% of area median income(what renters pay)
$1,662 ±53
Includes utilities; renters already housed
7.8%
Vacant units for rent, of rental stock
What renters can afford vs. typical asking rent
HUD FY2026 income limits at 30% of income, against today’s median asking rent.
30% AMI
Extremely low income
50% AMI
Very low income
80% AMI
Low income
100% AMI
Median income
2 bedroom
—
Median asking rent
Renter cost burden by income band
HUD CHAS 2018-2022. Column width is renter households in each band; height is the share paying 30–50% or 50%+ of income on rent.
All renters: 46% cost-burdened, 20% severely (CHAS). Census ACS 2024: 54% and 24%. HUD doesn’t publish the burden split above 80% AMI.
Typical rent over time vs. what incomes can afford
Zillow’s typical rent since September 2023 against the 2-bedroom rent affordable at 50% and 80% of AMI (HUD FY2026).
| September 2023 | $1,841 |
|---|---|
| October 2023 | $1,848 |
| November 2023 | $1,855 |
| December 2023 | $1,878 |
| January 2024 | $1,898 |
| February 2024 | $1,890 |
| March 2024 | $1,875 |
| April 2024 | $1,879 |
| May 2024 | $1,899 |
| June 2024 | $1,919 |
| July 2024 | $1,921 |
| August 2024 | $1,929 |
| September 2024 | $1,943 |
| October 2024 | $1,946 |
| November 2024 | $1,956 |
| December 2024 | $1,959 |
| January 2025 | $1,973 |
| February 2025 | $1,965 |
| March 2025 | $1,974 |
| April 2025 | $1,976 |
| May 2025 | $1,996 |
| June 2025 | $1,992 |
| July 2025 | $2,008 |
| August 2025 | $2,011 |
| September 2025 | $2,022 |
| October 2025 | $2,032 |
| November 2025 | $2,036 |
| December 2025 | $2,041 |
| January 2026 | $2,038 |
| February 2026 | $2,065 |
| March 2026 | $2,079 |
| April 2026 | $2,092 |
| May 2026 | $2,084 |
| June 2026 | $2,096 |
| July 2026 | $2,103 |
| August 2026 | $2,118 |
Around the county
Median household income (all)
$90,551 ±4,001
Renters earn 70% of this
Poverty rate
7.7%
of 86,836 residents
Key takeaways
About 8 in 10 renters below 50% AMI are cost-burdened
70% of extremely low-income and 85% of very low-income renter households pay more than 30% of income on rent; 63% of the lowest band pay half or more.
Rent affordability gap by unit size
Median asking rent vs. what a household at 30% of area median income can afford. HUD sizing: one person for a studio, 1.5 per bedroom. Select a size to update the charts above.
Sources: Census ACS 5-year (2024) · HUD CHAS (2018-2022) · HUD FY2026 income limits · Zillow ZORI. How this is calculated.