The Town Files

Stanwood, Washington

City in Snohomish County · population 7,705 (2020 Census)

Map: where Stanwood is in WashingtonStanwood
Median home
$593,100
Household income
$90,242
Jan low / Jul high
29° / 77°
Snow a year
4 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
36.3

Stanwood is a city of 7,705 people in Snohomish County, Washington. The median home is worth $593,100, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks easier by car than 97% of Washington towns, better for cycling than 94% of Washington towns, more seaside character than 84% of Washington towns.

How Stanwood 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.

Stanwood lifestyle rankings vs other Washington townsRetirement38th pctFamilies49th pctQuiet27th pctWalkability57th pctFirst-time buyers51st pctYoung professionals50th pctVibrancy63rd pctHip & trendy28th pctCollege town70th pctUpscale53rd pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character84th pctCycling94th pctTransit49th pctDriving97th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Stanwood is worth $593,100, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 6.6 times the median household income of $90,242, which is more affordable than 17% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,766 a month. 61.7% of households own their home.

Stanwood vs Snohomish County vs typical Washington townStanwoodSnohomish CountyTypical Washington townHome value$593,100$696,000$475,000Household income$90,242$111,246$90,625Monthly rent$1,766$1,949$1,597
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Washington towns with 500+ people.
HousingStanwoodTypical Washington town
Median home value$593,100$475,000
Median rent$1,766$1,597
Median household income$90,242$90,625
Home value ÷ income6.6×5.3×
Homeownership61.7%74.4%
Median year built20011985
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Stanwood

PeopleStanwoodTypical Washington town
Median age36.340.1
Age 65 and over16.2%17.9%
Under 1827.5%—
Bachelor's degree or higher24.3%27.6%
Below the poverty line8.0%8.5%
Veterans6.6%—
Born outside the U.S.2.7%—
Work from home16.6%13.4%
Average commute37.3 min27.1 min
Homes with broadband92.6%93.9%

Weather in Stanwood

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 28.6°F. About 49.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 4.4 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 94 nights at or below freezing.

Stanwood monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing47°29°Jan51°28°Feb54°32°Mar60°35°Apr67°41°May71°45°Jun77°48°Jul78°47°Aug72°42°Sep61°37°Oct52°31°Nov46°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue5.90.74.40.55.00.44.33.42.71.11.32.54.97.20.46.22.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Arlington station (10.3 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stanwood since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 18, 2005 about 5.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 18, 2005.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Stanwood by decade01950s01960s01970s01980s01990s22000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Snohomish County since 1996

Storm events in Snohomish County since 1996 by typeHail3Flood10Tornado4Lightning9Heavy Rain4Debris Flow6Flash Flood1Funnel Cloud9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Snohomish County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 44 deaths recorded.

Snohomish County has been included in 37 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
December 12, 2025FloodEM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 12, 2023Severe StormDR-4682: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
September 10, 2022FireFM-5455: Bolt Creek Fire
April 8, 2021Severe StormDR-4593: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Snohomish County

Snohomish County had 297,617 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $79,940 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Stanwood itself the ACS puts it at 6.4%.

Largest industries in Snohomish CountyManufacturing55,884 jobs · $117,340Health care & social assistan…36,554 jobs · $66,772Retail34,523 jobs · $46,981Construction24,847 jobs · $79,572Hotels & restaurants24,372 jobs · $31,464Professional & technical serv…16,201 jobs · $136,658
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Snohomish County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Snohomish 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Stanwood

9 public schools with 4,059 students, about 21.1 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Stanwood High School9-121,36223.9
Port Susan Middle School6-852221.8
Stanwood Middle School6-847223.6
Stanwood Elementary SchoolPK-546717.3
Cedarhome Elementary SchoolK-544417.1
Twin City ElementaryK-541815.5
Saratoga SchoolK-1222945.8
Lincoln Hill High School9-1213126.2
Lincoln Academy6-81414.0

Towns near Stanwood

Stanwood questions

Is Stanwood, Washington a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Stanwood scores better for retirees than 38% of Washington towns and quieter than 27%. 16.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.3).

How much does a house cost in Stanwood?

The median owner-occupied home in Stanwood is valued at $593,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $90,242, so homes cost about 6.6 times income. Median rent is $1,766 a month.

What is the weather like in Stanwood?

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 28.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.0 inches of precipitation a year and 4.4 inches of snow.

Does Stanwood get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Stanwood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 18, 2005. The typical Washington town has had 1.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Stanwood's Census boundary (GEOID 5367455). 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. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.