Roche Harbor, Washington

Community in San Juan County · population 662 (2020 Census)

Median home: $902,000
Household income: $94,167
Jan low / Jul high: 37° / 72°
Snow a year: 6 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 0
Median age: 61.7

Roche Harbor is a community of 662 people in San Juan County, Washington. The median home is worth $902,000, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for retirees than 100% of Washington towns, quieter than 100% of Washington towns, better for a vacation home than 100% of Washington towns.

Roche Harbor in our rankings:

How Roche Harbor ranks

Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Roche Harbor is worth $902,000, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 9.6 times the median household income of $94,167, which is more affordable than 1% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,764 a month. 84.1% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Washington towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Roche Harbor	Typical Washington town
Median home value	$902,000	$475,000
Median rent	$1,764	$1,597
Median household income	$94,167	$90,625
Home value ÷ income	9.6×	5.3×
Homeownership	84.1%	74.4%
Median year built	1992	1985
Seasonal / vacation homes	44.5%	—

Who lives in Roche Harbor

People	Roche Harbor	Typical Washington town
Median age	61.7	40.1
Age 65 and over	40.2%	17.9%
Under 18	8.9%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	55.6%	27.6%
Below the poverty line	10.7%	8.5%
Veterans	8.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	8.2%	—
Work from home	22.5%	13.4%
Average commute	22.3 min	27.1 min
Homes with broadband	95.8%	93.9%

Weather in Roche Harbor

July highs average 72.4°F and January lows 37.1°F. About 18.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 5.8 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 40 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Friday Harbor Ap station (7.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 1 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Roche Harbor since 1950.

Severe weather in San Juan County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, San Juan County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 1 deaths recorded.

San Juan County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, biological, severe storm.

Declared	Incident	Declaration
January 5, 2022	Flood	DR-4635: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 23, 2020	Flood	DR-4539: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020	Biological	DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020	Biological	EM-3427: Covid-19
February 14, 2007	Severe Storm	DR-1682: Severe Winter Storm, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in San Juan County

San Juan County had 6,097 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,170 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Roche Harbor itself the ACS puts it at 0.8%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Roche Harbor

Friday Harbor, WA
7.2 mi · 2,613 people · home $570,400
Anacortes, WA
24.6 mi · 17,637 people · home $696,700
Point Roberts, WA
26.3 mi · 1,191 people · home $483,900
Birch Bay, WA
28.0 mi · 10,115 people · home $477,200
Whidbey Island Station, WA
28.2 mi · 1,671 people · home —
Marietta-Alderwood, WA
29.1 mi · 4,015 people · home $547,100
Ferndale, WA
29.9 mi · 15,048 people · home $549,300

Roche Harbor questions

Is Roche Harbor, Washington a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Roche Harbor scores better for retirees than 100% of Washington towns and quieter than 100%. 40.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 61.7).

How much does a house cost in Roche Harbor?

The median owner-occupied home in Roche Harbor is valued at $902,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $94,167, so homes cost about 9.6 times income. Median rent is $1,764 a month.

What is the weather like in Roche Harbor?

July highs average 72.4°F and January lows 37.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 18.5 inches of precipitation a year and 5.8 inches of snow.

Does Roche Harbor get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Roche Harbor in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Roche Harbor's Census boundary (GEOID 5359075). Comparisons use the median of Washington towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)

Data snapshot 2026-11-13.