Roche Harbor · National Register of Historic Places
Roche Harbor’s story
144 years in pictures
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1882Roche Harbor is settled
Roche HarborWA
Today 778 people live in this town, first settled in 1882.
Roche Harbor · Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
778
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$902K
Census ACS
Household income
$94K
median
Median age
61.7
years
Jobs based here
150
A commuter town
Is Roche Harbor a good place to live?
40% of residents are 65 or older in Roche Harbor, against 16% in Washington’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Of the 286 Washington towns we compare, none has a higher January low than Roche Harbor. Krumdiack Homestead and Emmanuel Episcopal Church is on the National Register of Historic Places. Roche Harbor has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
778 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Roche Harbor: who provides what
Roche Harbor is unincorporated, so San Juan County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerOrcas Power & Light Coop19.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRoche Harbor Water System IncNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers31% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Juan CountySan Juan 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 hereSan Juan County AuditorSan Juan County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024
ZIP code9825098250 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 Roche Harbor.
Work & commute
About one in three of Roche Harbor’s working residents commute to Friday Harbor
The top destinations are Friday Harbor (31%), Seattle (11%) and Bellingham (6%). Commuting out is the norm in Roche Harbor: 4% of working residents work locally. This Washington town had 150 jobs in 2023, down 84 from 2013. For Roche Harbor, the typical journey to work is 22 minutes.
4%work in town
| Roche Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $94,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.4% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Roche Harbor4%
Friday Harbor31%
Seattle11%
Bellingham6%
Bellevue5%
12 mi
median commute distance
150
jobs based in Roche Harbor
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
6″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–46°
Spring43–57°
Summer53–71°
Fall46–58°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults in Roche Harbor sleep under 7 hours than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
13% of adults in Roche Harbor report frequent mental distress; 24% have obesity. Among 286 Washington towns, just 6 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Roche Harbor. In Roche Harbor, 14% of adults get no exercise outside work. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Roche Harbor is ahead of Washington on 16 and behind on 6.
| Roche Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Washington
16 better9 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Roche Harbor | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.7% | 9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.7% | 8.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.6% | 7.9% |
Peacehealth Peace Island Medical Center
2.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Roche Harbor: inland flooding
The FEMA hazard score for Roche Harbor comes to 55 of 100. FEMA puts just over half of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 38% to earthquakes.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesCoastal flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Outdoors
Roche Harbor keeps 4% of its land conserved
Trails total 5.0 miles in 4 parks and preserves. Roche Harbor’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
4%conserved
| Roche Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4% | 4% | 4.3% |
4%
conserved · 150 of 3,756 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Juan Islands Sculpture Park | 0.9 mi | 16 |
| 2. English Camp - San Juan Island National Historical Park | 0.5 mi | 71 |
| 3. Reuben Tarte Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Roche Harbor sells for about $1.29M at the median
For households in Roche Harbor, the share who own their home is 84%. In Roche Harbor, the midpoint rent is $1,764 a month.
$1.29Mmedian sale price
| Roche Harbor | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,764 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Roche Harbor
16pages on Roche Harbor
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Roche Harbor; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Roche Harbor residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Roche Harbor for work
Where Roche Harbor’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
150jobs based in Roche Harbor
4%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Roche Harbor
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Roche Harbor, WA a good place to live?
Roche Harbor has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.