Earning a living in Snohomish County

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates there were 351,535 working people in 2012 who called Snohomish County home. That’s about half the population. More than 35 percent of them earned their living in another county — no surprise given the number of folks who reside in north Seattle suburbs. So commute times are greater than the state or national averages. We also have a proportionately bigger middle class than most places, due in large part to numerous aerospace engineers and highly skilled blue-collar workers. Here’s a look at Snohomish County’s diverse working class.

Commuting in 2012

One-way travel time to work. Among Snohomish County workers, 30-34 minutes is most prevalent. Statewide, it’s 15-19 minutes.

Snohomish County Washington U.S.
PLACE OF WORK:
Worked in county of residence 64.3% 81.2% 72.5%
Worked outside county of residence 35.7% 18.8% 27.5%
TRAVEL TIME TO WORK:
Less than 10 minutes 9.1% 12.5% 13.1%
10 to 14 minutes 10.8% 13.2% 13.8%
15 to 19 minutes 12.8% 14.9% 14.9%
20 to 24 minutes 13.0% 14.0% 14.1%
25 to 29 minutes 6.0% 6.1% 5.8%
30 to 34 minutes 14.4% 12.9% 13.0%
35 to 39 minutes 3.3% 2.8% 2.6%
40 to 44 minutes 4.8% 3.7% 3.5%
45 to 59 minutes 10.4% 7.1% 7.2%
60 or more minutes 10.5% 7.4% 7.7%

Employment by industry in 2012

Snohomish County Washington
Education, health care and social assistance 18.9% 21.3%
Manufacturing 16.0% 10.5%
Retail trade 12.3% 11.6%
Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management 10.6% 12.0%
Arts, entertainment, recreation, accomodation and food 8.2% 8.8%
Construction 8.2% 6.6%
Finance and insurance; real estate 6.3% 5.8%
Other services, except public administration 4.9% 4.8%
Transportation, warehousing and utilities 4.4% 5.2%
Public administration 4.2% 5.5%
Information 2.6% 2.4%
Wholesale trade 2.6% 3.0%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting; mining 0.8% 2.6%

Household incomes in 2012

Snohomish County Washington U.S.
Less than $10,000 4.5% 6.1% 7.2%
$10,000 to $14,999 3.2% 4.3% 5.4%
$15,000 to $24,999 7.2% 9.0% 10.7%
$25,000 to $34,999 7.8% 9.5% 10.4%
$35,000 to $49,999 12.8% 13.4% 13.7%
$50,000 to $74,999 19.2% 19.0% 18.2%
$75,000 to $99,999 15.8% 13.6% 12.2%
$100,000 to $149,999 18.7% 14.9% 12.8%
$150,000 to $199,999 6.6% 5.5% 4.8%
$200,000 or more 4.2% 4.7% 4.6%

SOURCES: U.S. Census, U.S. Department of Commerce via Headwaters Economics

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Alan Edward Dean, convicted of the 1993 murder of Melissa Lee, professes his innocence in the courtroom during his sentencing Wednesday, April 24, 2024, at Snohomish County Superior Court in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bothell man gets 26 years in cold case murder of Melissa Lee, 15

“I’m innocent, not guilty. … They planted that DNA. I’ve been framed,” said Alan Edward Dean, as he was sentenced for the 1993 murder.

Bothell
Man gets 75 years for terrorizing exes in Bothell, Mukilteo

In 2021, Joseph Sims broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home in Bothell and assaulted her. He went on a crime spree from there.

A Tesla electric vehicle is seen at a Tesla electric vehicle charging station at Willow Festival shopping plaza parking lot in Northbrook, Ill., Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. A Tesla driver who had set his car on Autopilot was “distracted” by his phone before reportedly hitting and killing a motorcyclist Friday on Highway 522, according to a new police report. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Tesla driver on Autopilot caused fatal Highway 522 crash, police say

The driver was reportedly on his phone with his Tesla on Autopilot on Friday when he crashed into Jeffrey Nissen, killing him.

A passenger pays their fare before getting in line for the ferry on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023 in Mukilteo, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
$55? That’s what a couple will pay on the Edmonds-Kingston ferry

The peak surcharge rates start May 1. Wait times also increase as the busy summer travel season kicks into gear.

In this Jan. 4, 2019 photo, workers and other officials gather outside the Sky Valley Education Center school in Monroe, Wash., before going inside to collect samples for testing. The samples were tested for PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, as well as dioxins and furans. A lawsuit filed on behalf of several families and teachers claims that officials failed to adequately respond to PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, in the school. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Judge halves $784M for women exposed to Monsanto chemicals at Monroe school

Monsanto lawyers argued “arbitrary and excessive” damages in the Sky Valley Education Center case “cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny.”

Mukilteo Police Chief Andy Illyn and the graphic he created. He is currently attending the 10-week FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. (Photo provided by Andy Illyn)
Help wanted: Unicorns for ‘pure magic’ career with Mukilteo police

“There’s a whole population who would be amazing police officers” but never considered it, the police chief said.

President of Pilchuck Audubon Brian Zinke, left, Interim Executive Director of Audubon Washington Dr.Trina Bayard,  center, and Rep. Rick Larsen look up at a bird while walking in the Narcbeck Wetland Sanctuary on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Larsen’s new migratory birds law means $6.5M per year in avian aid

North American birds have declined by the billions. This week, local birders saw new funding as a “a turning point for birds.”

FILE - In this May 26, 2020, file photo, a grizzly bear roams an exhibit at the Woodland Park Zoo, closed for nearly three months because of the coronavirus outbreak in Seattle. Grizzly bears once roamed the rugged landscape of the North Cascades in Washington state but few have been sighted in recent decades. The federal government is scrapping plans to reintroduce grizzly bears to the North Cascades ecosystem. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Grizzlies to return to North Cascades, feds confirm in controversial plan

Under a final plan announced Thursday, officials will release three to seven bears per year. They anticipate 200 in a century.s

Everett
Police: 1 injured in south Everett shooting

Police responded to reports of shots fired in the 9800 block of 18th Avenue W. Officers believed everyone involved remained at the scene.

Patrick Lester Clay (Photo provided by the Department of Corrections)
Police searching for Monroe prison escapee

Officials suspect Patrick Lester Clay, 59, broke into an employee’s office, stole their car keys and drove off.

People hang up hearts with messages about saving the Clark Park gazebo during a “heart bomb” event hosted by Historic Everett on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Clark Park gazebo removal complicated by Everett historical group

Over a City Hall push, the city’s historical commission wants to find ways to keep the gazebo in place, alongside a proposed dog park.

A person turns in their ballot at a ballot box located near the Edmonds Library in Edmonds, Washington on Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Deadline fast approaching for Everett property tax measure

Everett leaders are working to the last minute to nail down a new levy. Next week, the City Council will have to make a final decision.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.