Cantharellus roseocanus group 759825, 2017
Freeland’s story
125 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2017.
- 1901Freeland is settled
FreelandWA
1,548 people live in this town, settled in 1901.
Population
1,548
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$731K
−0.9% in a year
Household income
$83K
median
Median age
59.1
years
Jobs based here
1,037
Balanced
Is Freeland a good place to live?
Freeland’s best subject grades are an A for health and an A− for schools; its weakest is a C− for cost of living. Freeland’s age of the median resident is 59.1 years, above both Washington’s towns (38.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Freeland is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns. Freeland’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Freeland has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Freeland stand out
Where Freeland beats most towns.
31 measures vs. Washington
15 better10 too close to call6 worse
| Widest gap | Freeland | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 10.2% |
HealthA
Healthier than 90% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 72% of U.S. towns
8.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
By the sea
Freeland lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 9% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
9%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
98thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
0thpercentile for hurricane risk
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
How Freeland grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Freeland is from typical.
HealthJefferson Healthcare 12.3 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsBeat 80% of Washington districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC−Open →Jobs & income$83K median household income; 1,037 jobs based hereCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.3 of 20; 4.3% of households have no carB+Open →Hazard riskEarthquakes top 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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 154 attractions →Space Needle and 121 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Freeland. Close and well known come first.
Big draw30 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw32 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw30 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
32 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
31 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 · Olympic National Park: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Freeland: who provides what
Freeland is unincorporated, so Island County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFreeland Water and Sewer DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers97% 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 code9824998249 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 Freeland.
Who lives here
44% of residents are 65 or older
A bachelor’s degree or higher: 35% of adults 25 and older, vs 40% across Washington.
59.1median age · WA 38.3
FreelandWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
23%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma8%
High school13%
Some college32%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s17%
Graduate19%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.5 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Freeland | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.4% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.6% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.5% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.1% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.8% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.9% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 20.9% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 12.8% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 31.6% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.5% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.6% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.6% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
HealthA
A smaller share of adults in Freeland binge drink than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
5.2% of Freeland adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Only 7 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Freeland. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Freeland is ahead of Washington on 15 and behind on 6.
90%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Freeland | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Washington
15 better10 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Freeland | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.7% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.4% | 7.9% |
Jefferson Healthcare
12.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Zillow puts the typical Freeland home at about $731K
Freeland’s going rate for rent comes in at $1,237 a month. Among households in the town, 73% are owner-occupiers.
$731KZillow home value
| Freeland | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,237 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Freeland$731K
Washington$588K
−0.9%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Freeland
July afternoons reach 74°, January nights drop to 35° and snow is almost unheard of.
74°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–47°
Spring41–58°
Summer52–72°
Fall44–59°
Nov 28
typical first frost
Mar 1
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
74°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
A job hub: Freeland has 1.2 jobs for every working resident and draws in 976 commuters
The top destinations are Seattle (16%), Everett (7%) and Langley (5%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 21 miles. For residents in Freeland, the share who live below the poverty line is 12%.
7%work in town
| Freeland | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $83,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Freeland7%
Seattle16%
Everett7%
Langley5%
Coupeville4%
21 mi
median commute distance
1,037
jobs based in Freeland
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 72% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Freeland, with earthquakes at the top
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 52% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Freeland, 44% come from earthquakes and 25% from landslides.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesLandslidesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Protected land: 0.4% of Freeland
In 4 parks and preserves, walkers have 5.0 miles of trail.
0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 9 of 2,461 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Freeland Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
| 2. Freeland Wetland Preserve | — | 16 |
| 3. orchard park | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Freeland
17pages on Freeland
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Freeland
About 2 of every 100 Freeland residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A growing town
Freeland has grown 10% from 2010 to 2020
2,045 counted in 2010 and 2,252 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
About Freeland
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
Freeland is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) on Whidbey Island in Island County, Washington, United States. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 2,252. The town received its name based on its origins as a socialist commune in the early 1900s: in the eyes of its founders, the land of the town was literally to be free for all people. Some of the first settlers were veterans of a prior experiment in socialism, the nearby Equality Colony.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 115 ft
- ZIP code
- 98249
Questions about Freeland
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Freeland, WA expensive?
Yes. That is 8.1 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−.