Clinton Beach, Washington State (May 25, 2007), 2007
Clinton’s story
Clinton in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 4 maps from 1942 on.
Explore the history →ClintonWA
A town of 1,419.
Population
1,419
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$713K
+0.8% in a year
Household income
$76K
median
Median age
46.1
years
Jobs based here
207
A commuter town
Is Clinton a good place to live?
Clinton’s best subject grades are an A+ for walkability, an A for health, and an A− for schools; its weakest is a C− for cost of living. On walkability, just 26 of Washington’s 396 towns do better. Clinton’s average trip to work is 35 minutes, above both Washington’s towns (27 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 28 of Washington’s 397 towns score lower on the outdoors. Clinton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Clinton stand out
Where Clinton beats most towns.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 97% of U.S. towns
18.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
31 measures vs. Washington
16 better9 too close to call6 worse
| Widest gap | Clinton | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.9% | 9% |
HealthA
Healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Small town
1,419 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Clinton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Clinton is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.1 of 20; 1.7% of households have no carA+Open →HealthProvidence Regional Medical Center Everett 7.2 miles awayAOpen →Cost of livingC−Open →SchoolsBeat 80% of Washington districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Jobs & income$76K median household incomeCOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 75° summer afternoons, 3″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives here–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 159 attractions →Space Needle and 125 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Clinton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw24 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
26 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
Big draw37 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
25 mi Ancient siteSeattle UndergroundSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Space Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Olympic National Park: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Clinton: who provides what
Clinton is unincorporated, so Island County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterClinton Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesIsland CountyIsland County provides services here
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.govWho runs elections hereIsland County AuditorIsland County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9823698236 100%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 Clinton.
HealthA
A smaller share of adults in Clinton binge drink than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
12% of adults binge drink in Clinton, below both the Washington town median (17%) and the median of U.S. towns (16%). 27% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Clinton. Clinton beats the Washington average on 16 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Clinton | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Washington
16 better9 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Clinton | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.9% | 9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.6% | 7.9% |
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
7.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Washington overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 29% of residents (17% statewide). Clinton’s median age is 46.1 years. 39% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 40% across Washington.
46.1median age · WA 38.3
| Clinton | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 46.1 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 30% | 29% |
ClintonWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school31%
Some college14%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s24%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.1 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Clinton | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.4% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 18.8% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.3% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 18.7% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.4% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 7.5% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.1% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.1% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.9% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.8% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.6% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.7% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.2% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,400, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Clinton has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Clinton for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Clinton grew to 207 in 2023, 28 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Seattle (14%), Everett (9%) and Freeland (5%).
4%work in town
| Clinton | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.6% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Clinton4%
Seattle14%
Everett9%
Freeland5%
Langley5%
18 mi
median commute distance
207
jobs based in Clinton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade C−
Clinton’s typical home value is about $713K
The typical Clinton home is worth about $713,000, up 0.8% in a year, 21% above the Washington typical home. The median rent in Clinton is $1,410 a month.
$713KZillow home value
| Clinton | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,410 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Clinton$713K
Washington$588K
+0.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Clinton
Clinton has mild winters and cool summers. July afternoons reach 74°, January nights drop to 36° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–47°
Spring42–58°
Summer53–72°
Fall44–60°
Nov 17
typical first frost
Mar 9
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Earthquakes leads a high hazard risk in Clinton
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
60risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesLandslidesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 1 of 2,365 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clinton Beach | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Clinton
18pages on Clinton
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Clinton
Everett Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Everett7.5 mi$5,032 in-state tuitionEdmonds CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lynnwood10.2 mi$4,810 in-state tuitionShoreline Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Shoreline14.9 mi$5,115 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Clinton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Clinton for work
Where Clinton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
207jobs based in Clinton
4%of working residents work in town
18 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Clinton
CDP in Washington, United States
Clinton is a community and census-designated place (CDP) located on southern Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 956. The local post office, however, serves approximately 2,500 people in surrounding areas. Clinton is the western terminus of the Mukilteo–Clinton ferry operated by Washington State Ferries, which serves Whidbey Island. The ferry carries State Route 525, which continues through Clinton to the rest of Whidbey Island. Much of Clinton is situated on a high bluff overlooking Saratoga Passage on Puget Sound. The community of Columbia Beach, however, rests at sea level. To the north of the ferry dock is old Clinton, wh…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 128 ft
- ZIP code
- 98236
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Clinton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Clinton, WA expensive?
Yes. That is 7.9 years of the area's median household income ($90,551 across the Oak Harbor, WA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.