Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 96% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Overall it grades C−, 215th of 285 graded towns in Washington. It also does better than most on health: residents are healthier than 66% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $101K, and 12% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $467K, 4.1 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Gold Bar’s average trip to work is 47 minutes, above both the Washington town median (27 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Gold Bar's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 85% of U.S. towns.
Where Gold Bar beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
2,075 counted in 2010 and 2,403 in 2020; an estimated 2,561 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 6.9% since 2020, after 15.8% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Gold Bar is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 353 in 1920, 2,403 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gold Bar, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Gold Bar.
Gold Bar has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns, sends most of its workers to Seattle and beyond and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Washington.
Among 285 Washington towns, just 7 have a higher FEMA risk score than Gold Bar. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Gold Bar since 1995.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by the Sultan School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Bar ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 313 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Gold Bar has 117 jobs for its 1,115 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 47.3 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
Most working residents leave Gold Bar for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Seattle (12%), Monroe (9%) and Everett (7%). Half commute less than 26 miles.
| Gold Bar | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 5% | 8% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Within Washington it is less healthy than 63% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar. Against the 8,479 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gold Bar’s, it is less healthy than 51%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
70% of adults had a checkup this year in Gold Bar. Gold Bar beats the Washington average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 29% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Gold Bar.
| Gold Bar | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | Gold Bar | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.7% | 10.2% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.9% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 13.1% | 10.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
July afternoons average 77.1°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.5°.
Gold Bar has mild, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Gold Bar’s July high is 77°F. About 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Gold Bar | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
91% of Gold Bar households own their home. The typical Gold Bar home is worth about $467,000, about the same as a year ago, 20% below the Washington typical home. The median rent in Gold Bar is $1,843 a month.
| Gold Bar | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 91% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,843 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Gold Bar's reported crime rate is well below Washington's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025.
| Gold Bar | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.4 per 1,000 residents | 15.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Gold Bar; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Gold Bar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Where Gold Bar’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Washington, United States
Gold Bar is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located on the Skykomish River between Sultan and Index, connected by U.S. Route 2. The population was 2,403 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Gold Bar.
Gold Bar reports no FBI crime data of its own. May Creek and Startup aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Gold Bar with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gold Bar grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #215 of 285 in Washington. It grades B+ for health and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.