Centennial Trail - Machias Station 01, 2009
Machias’s story
138 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,015 in 2000, 1,264 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 4 maps from 1944 on.
- 1888Machias is laid out
MachiasWA
This town of 1,276 people was laid out in 1888.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,276
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$714K
Census ACS
Household income
$152K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
85
A commuter town
Is Machias a good place to live?
The best of Machias’ subject grades are an A for incomes and health and an A− for schools; the weakest is a C− for cost of living. Machias’ median household income is $152,000, above both Washington’s towns ($98,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000). Only 36 of Washington’s 396 towns score higher on incomes. Machias has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,276 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Lake StevensCavaleroBunk FossMachias
How Machias grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Machias is from typical.
Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentAOpen →HealthProvidence Regional Medical Center Everett 7.2 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsBeat 84% of Washington districts on tests and graduationA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $714K, 6.2 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household incomeC−Open →Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 3.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−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 →
Getting set up
Moving to Machias: who provides what
Machias is unincorporated, so Snohomish County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSno PUD 1 - Lake Stevens water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSnohomish CountySnohomish 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 hereSnohomish County AuditorSnohomish County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2022
ZIP codes98258, 9829098258 67% · 98290 33%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 Machias.
HealthA
Machias is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns
In Machias, 30% of adults have high blood pressure. The town beats the Washington average on 7 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. Two figures for adults here: 16% get no exercise outside work, 72% had a checkup this year.
86%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Machias | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 26% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 71% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.4% | 9.8% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Washington
7 better22 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Machias | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.8% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.1% | 10.2% |
| More adults with depression | 28% | 25.1% |
Providence Regional Medical Center Everett
7.2 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Machias’ workers commute out
Most people who work leave Machias to do it: just 1% work in town. Jobs in Machias grew by 43 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 85. Machias: 5.1% of residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Everett (19%), Seattle (15%) and Lake Stevens (8%).
1%work in town
| Machias | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.1% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Machias1%
Everett19%
Seattle15%
Lake Stevens8%
Redmond4%
17 mi
median commute distance
85
jobs based in Machias
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 54% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Younger than Washington overall
People 65 and older are 6% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 46% of residents (38% statewide). Machias’ age of the median resident comes in at 36.7 years. College graduates make up just over a third of adults 25 and older, against 40% across Washington.
36.7median age · WA 38.3
| Machias | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 30% | 29% |
MachiasWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
20%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school32%
Some college21%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 27% and 65% women
The Census survey reached too few of Machias’ residents to say more: its margin here is ±19.1 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Machias | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.6% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.1% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 19.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.4% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.8% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 1.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.9% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.7% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.2% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.3% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Natural hazards: high risk in Machias, mostly inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Machias, 54% come from inland flooding and 36% from earthquakes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 69% of U.S. communities. Since 1997, Machias has seen 7 flood insurance claims paid out.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
7
paid flood claims since 1997
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Machias: mild winters and pleasant summers
The peak summer temperature for Machias comes to 75°F.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–47°
Spring41–59°
Summer53–73°
Fall44–60°
Nov 2
typical first frost
Mar 24
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB+
Machias has set aside 3.1% of its land for conservation
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 2.1 miles. Machias’ concentration of trails is 0.8 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves here: one, of 2 acres.
3.1%conserved
| Machias | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.8 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 4% | 4.3% |
3.1%
conserved · 48 of 1,571 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Machias Trailhead Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Machias sells for about $935K at the median
80% of households own their home in Machias.
$935Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 158 attractions →Space Needle and 121 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Machias. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw30 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
31 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
30 mi Ancient siteSeattle Underground
26 mi Stadium & arenaHusky StadiumSources: 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 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Husky Stadium: Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Machias
17pages on Machias
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Machias
About 3 of every 100 Machias residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Machias for work
Where Machias’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
85jobs based in Machias
1%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Machias
CDP in Washington, United States
Machias is a census-designated place (CDP) in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,264 at the 2020 census. Machias was laid out in 1888, and named after Machias, Maine, the ancestral home of a first settler. A post office called Machias was established in 1892, and remained in operation until 1943.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 118 ft
- Area code
- 425
Questions about Machias
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Machias, WA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $714,000, 22% above the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.