Red Men Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Index’s story
137 years in pictures
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1889Index is established
IndexWA
A town of 165, established in 1889.
Red Men Hall · Photo: Carnuck · CC0
Population
165
2025 Census estimate · +6.5% since 2020
Typical home
$481K
+2.5% in a year
Median age
45.4
years
Jobs based here
26
A commuter town
Is Index a good place to live?
Index’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, above both the Washington town median (27 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 286 Washington towns, just 1 have a higher share of households owning their home than Index. Index has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Red Men Hall and Bush House. Index has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
165 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Index: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Index, and how to reach them.
PowerPUD No 1 of Snohomish County12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIndex Water DeptNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Index’s trash rules yet
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 hereSnohomish County AuditorSnohomish County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2022
ZIP code9825698256 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 Index.
Natural hazards
The FEMA risk score in Index is higher than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
Index’s FEMA risk score is 99 of 100, above both Washington’s towns (69 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1980, 29 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Index.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
LandslidesInland floodingAvalanches
29
paid flood claims since 1980
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Index’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Index Elementary School District 63. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Index Elementary School District 63Largest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 36 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Index’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Index for work: only 0% work in town. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in Index. The top destinations are Seattle (16%), Monroe (8%) and Bellevue (6%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Index0%
Seattle16%
Monroe8%
Bellevue6%
Sultan5%
34 mi
median commute distance
26
jobs based in Index
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Index, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Index has mild, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Index is 74°F.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–43°
Spring38–57°
Summer50–72°
Fall41–58°
Oct 29
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
A typical Index home is worth about $481K
The typical Index home is worth about $481,000, up 2.5% in a year, 18% below the Washington typical home.
$481KZillow home value
Typical home value
Index$481K
Washington$588K
+2.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Safety
Crime reported in Index
2 crimes were reported in Index in 2024: 2 property and 0 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Index is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
0
violent crimes reported in 2024
2
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Index is
Index beats the Washington average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 75% of Index adults had a checkup this year.
| Index | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 71% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Washington
5 better14 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Index | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.5% | 9.9% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 74.7% | 66.2% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.3% | 5.1% |
Evergreenhealth Monroe
20.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Index
18pages on Index
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Index; the nearest are
DigiPen Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Redmond29.1 mi$38,950 tuitionLake Washington Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · Kirkland29.5 mi$5,997 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Index residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Index for work
Where Index’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
26jobs based in Index
0%of working residents work in town
34 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Landmarks
2 places in Index on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Index
Town in Washington, United States
Index (Lushootseed: x̌əx̌aʔusalʔtxʷ) is a town in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 155 at the 2020 census, making it the smallest municipality in the county. Index lies at an elevation of 541 feet (165 m) along the North Fork Skykomish River in the Cascade Mountains. It is connected to surrounding communities by U.S. Route 2. The town was established in 1889 by Amos Gunn and his family after they purchased an existing claim to build a home and hotel. It was named for Mount Index (now Baring Mountain), which resembled an index finger. Index became a stop on the Great Northern Railway in 1893 and was platted the same year amid a boom in mineral exploration in th…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 577 ft
- ZIP code
- 98256
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Index
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Index, WA a good place to live?
Index has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.