Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sequim's standout: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 97% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C−, 232nd of 285 graded towns in Washington. Its weakest subject is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $557K for a typical one and 7.9 times the Port Angeles area’s $70K median household income. 46% of residents are 65 or older in Sequim, above both Washington’s towns (16%) and U.S. towns (18%). Sequim's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 91% of U.S. towns. Sequim has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Dungeness River Bridge and Sequim Opera House.
Where Sequim beats most towns.
6,606 counted in 2010 and 8,024 in 2020; an estimated 8,215 in 2025.
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 Sequim is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for walkability (better than 97% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 12%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 402 in 1920, 8,024 in 2020. The archive holds 19 old photos and papers going back to 1906 and 4 maps from 1938 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sequim. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
35 mi MountainMount Olympus
8 mi BeachDungeness Spit
15 mi LandmarkFort Worden
34 mi LakeLake Crescent
20 mi LandmarkFort CaseyOlympic National Park: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 · Mount Olympus: R6, State & Private Forestry, Forest Health Protection, Public domain · Dungeness Spit: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Fort Worden: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Crescent: Kashyap Hosdurga, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Casey: mikelehen, CC BY 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sequim, 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 Sequim.
Sequim draws workers from Port Angeles and beyond, fares better on crime within Washington than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
The median age in Sequim is 62.6 years. Sequim has grown 2.3% since 2020, to 8,215 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. People 65 and older are 46% of residents (17% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 25% of residents (38% statewide).
| Sequim | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 62.6 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 34% | 30% | 29% |
54% women, 46% men
About 85 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.6 points). Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Sequim | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.8% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.2% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.6% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.1% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 5.9% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.4% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 23.2% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.6% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.4% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.1% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.3% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Sequim School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Sequim Senior High, with 804 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sequim Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 548 | – |
| Sequim Senior HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 804 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
4,371 jobs are based in Sequim, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
About one in 5 of Sequim’s working residents works in town. Sequim’s average trip to work is 21 minutes. Since 2013, Sequim has added 793 jobs, to 4,371 in 2023.
| Sequim | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1990, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sequim.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 29.9 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 53% of Washington’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 71.2°, cooler than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.2°.
Sequim has mild winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Among 285 Washington towns, just 10 have a lower July high than Sequim. About 1 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Sequim | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 71°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 34°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 8,833 U.S. towns with household incomes like Sequim’s, it is healthier than 89%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income. Within Washington it is less healthy than 68% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
11% of adults binge drink in Sequim. Sequim beats the Washington average on 12 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 27% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Sequim.
| Sequim | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 31% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Sequim | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.8% | 16.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 15.6% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.5 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Olympic Peninsula Gardens, at 29 acres.
| Sequim | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.3% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Carrie Blake Park | 0.6 mi | 24 |
| 2. Olympic Peninsula Gardens | 0.3 mi | 29 |
| 3. Bell Creek Wildlife Area | — | 19 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
At 7.9 years of the Port Angeles area’s $70K median household income, the typical home (about $557K) costs more against local pay than in 86% of Washington towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
62% of Sequim households own their home. The typical Sequim home is worth about $557,000, down 1.9% in a year, 5% below the Washington typical home.
| Sequim | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,195 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Sequim; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Sequim residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Where Sequim’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Sequim on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Sequim.
City in Washington, United States
Sequim ( SKWIM) is a city in Clallam County, Washington, United States. It is located on the north side of the Olympic Peninsula between the Dungeness River and Sequim Bay. The city is south of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and north of the Olympic Mountains. The population was 8,024 as of the 2020 census; the estimated population in 2023 was 8,203. Sequim is connected to nearby Port Angeles by U.S. Route 101, which runs south of the city's downtown. The city lies within the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains and receives, on average, less than 16 inches (410 mm) of rain per year – about the same as Los Angeles – giving rise to the region's local nickname of Sunny Sequim. However, the city i…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Sequim.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sequim | #232 | C− | D | C | B+ | B |
| Bell Hill | — | — | D− | — | B+ | A− |
| River Road | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Bell Hill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Bell Hill reports no FBI crime data of its own. River Road isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Sequim with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Sequim grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #232 of 285 in Washington. It grades B for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
3 notable people were born here, including Donald M. Kendall and Bill Ward.
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