The best of Clear Lake’s subject grades is a B for health; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Clear Lake’s median age is 54.5 years, above both Washington’s towns (38.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). The typical home is worth about $550K, 6.2 years of the Mount Vernon metro’s $89K median household income. Only 32 of Washington’s 397 towns score lower on the outdoors. Clear Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

WeakestDHazard risk CJobs & income CCost of living

A growing town

Clear Lake has grown 23% from 2010 to 2020

1,002 counted in 2010 and 1,228 in 2020.

1,0022010

1,2282020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

How Clear Lake grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Clear Lake is from typical.

How grading works

Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$72K median household income; 114 jobs based hereCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →HealthPeacehealth United General Medical Center 3.7 miles awayBOpen →SchoolsC⁺Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.8 of 20; 1.4% of households have no car; 8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryPlatted 1890B⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateCold winters, 75° summer afternoons, 6″ of snow–Open →Who lives here13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Clear Lake: who provides what

Clear Lake is unincorporated, so Skagit County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterSkagit County PUD 1 Judy Res water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet5 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesSkagit CountySkagit County provides services here

SchoolsSedro-Woolley School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereSkagit County AuditorSkagit County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021

ZIP codes98273, 98235, 9828498273 52% · 98235 36% · 98284 12%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Clear Lake.

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D

Clear Lake faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 88% of U.S. communities.

88risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingEarthquakesAvalanches

Full pageClear Lake’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters26 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get ready0.3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

SchoolsC⁺

Public schools in Clear Lake fall behind 63% of Washington districts

Its public schools are run by the Sedro-Woolley School District. Its one school is below.

37%of WA districts it outscoresC⁺School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Clear Lake Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6	Grades K–6	314	–

Full pageClear Lake’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsSedro-Woolley School District Every school1 school · Clear Lake Elementary School Questions“Are Clear Lake’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Clear Lake’s workers commute out

Most working residents leave Clear Lake for work: only 1% work in town. 14% of Clear Lake residents live below the poverty line, above both the Washington town median (7.9%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The average trip to work in Clear Lake is 30 minutes.

1%work in town

	Clear Lake	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	14%	7.9%	9.6%
Average trip to work	30 minutes	27 minutes	25 minutes
Median household income	$72,000	$98,000	$80,000
Working residents who work in town	1.4%	4.9%	8%

Where working residents work

In Clear Lake1%

Mount Vernon15%

Sedro-Woolley9%

Seattle7%

Burlington7%

23 mi

median commute distance

114

jobs based in Clear Lake

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

B−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 47% of U.S. towns

Full pageClear Lake’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here114 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work1% work in Clear Lake Commute times30 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 23 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Four seasons and pleasant summers in Clear Lake

Clear Lake has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Clear Lake’s July high is 74°F.

6″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter35–46°

Spring41–59°

Summer52–72°

Fall44–59°

Nov 6

typical first frost

Mar 27

typical last frost

+1.3°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageClear Lake’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 74°, January lows 35°Rain & snow6″ of snow a winter · 55 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+1.3° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthB

Clear Lake ranks healthier than 64% of the country’s towns

Clear Lake beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 70% of adults had a checkup this year in Clear Lake.

64%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade

	Clear Lake	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	70%	71%	79%
Depression (CDC PLACES)	28%	26%	23%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	15%	13%	14%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)	33%	33%	36%

31 measures vs. Washington

0 better22 too close to call9 worse

What stands out	Clear Lake	WA
More adults with COPD	7%	5.1%
More smokers	13.3%	10.1%
More adults who have had a stroke	3.6%	2.9%

Peacehealth United General Medical Center

3.7 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pageClear Lake’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby3.7 miles to an ER · Peacehealth United General Medical Center How adults are doingMore adults in frequent physical distress Every CDC estimateBetter than WA on 0 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsD

0.5% of Clear Lake is conserved land

0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.

0.5%conserved

	Clear Lake	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Miles of trail per square mile	0.1 miles per square mile	0.8	0.4
Conserved land	0.5%	4%	4.3%

0.5%

conserved · 10 of 2,007 acres

0.3 mi

of trails · 0.1 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Clear Lake Park	0.1 mi	1
2. Beaver Laket	—	1

Full pageClear Lake’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.3 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.1 miles of trail · Clear Lake Park Conserved land0.5% conserved · 10 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Clear Lake?”

Nearby attractions

Mount Baker and 26 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clear Lake. Close and well known come first.

All 121 attractions →

Big draw30 mi MountainMount Baker

34 mi National ParkNorth Cascades National Park47K visitors a year

32 mi LandmarkFort Worden

33 mi Stadium & arenaAngel of the Winds Arena

28 mi LandmarkFort Casey

38 mi MuseumFlying Heritage Collection

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Mount Baker: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY 2.5 · North Cascades National Park: Daniel Hershman, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Worden: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Angel of the Winds Arena: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Casey: mikelehen, CC BY 2.0 · Flying Heritage Collection: nsimpson, CC BY-SA 2.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Clear Lake

17pages on Clear Lake

The big questions

SchoolsC⁺Behind 63% of WA districts · 1 school HealthBBetter than WA on 0 of 31 CDC measures Cost of livingCWork & commuteC$72K median household income · 114 jobs here Natural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 88% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsD0 mi of trails · 0% conserved land PlacesAttractions121 nearby · Heritage Flight Museum 8 mi LibrarySedro-Woolley Library CollegesSkagit Valley College is 3.3 mi away

The story

HistoryB⁻Platted 1890 Climate75° summer highs · 6″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 98235 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Clear Lake

Skagit Valley CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mount Vernon3.3 mi$5,400 in-state tuition

About 2 of every 100 Clear Lake residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

Small town

1,093 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns

Mount Vernon · 4 mi Burlington · 4 mi Sedro-Woolley · 4 mi Lyman · 10 mi Hamilton · 12 mi La Conner · 12 mi

About Clear Lake

CDP in Washington, United States

Clear Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,228 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 2.2 sq mi
Elevation: 46 ft
ZIP code: 98235
Area code: 360

Questions about Clear Lake

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Clear Lake, WA expensive?

Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.

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