The most expensive small towns in Washington state

I grew up in Burien, WA. You might call it a small town, but I considered it a suburb of Seattle. Then I went to Ellensburg for college, and that's when I really discovered what a small town was like. Keep in mind that when I went to college and at Central in Ellensburg the summer population of Ellensburg was approximately 5500. When school was in session that would go up to about 30,000. 

I think everybody knows that it's expensive trying to live in a big city but these days living in a small town is getting expensive as well, so I thought we would take a look at some of the most expensive small towns to live in in Washington state. 

Some of these small towns that I'm going to list here I don't really think of as small towns, I just think of them as suburbs of a larger city. 

So, the question is, what is the most expensive small town in Washington to live in? We're ranking this list based on the average cost of a home with the numbers coming from bestplaces.net 

Now I do want to stress that this is not a complete list, it's just kind of an overview.  

Moses Lake

Moses Lake certainly has that small town feel, but they're developing some very interesting high-tech industries. The average cost of a home in Moses Lake, $333,500. 

Longview 
Honestly. I Live on the east side of the mountains, so I really don't think about Longview that much. Of course, if I'm driving to Portland on the I-5 corridor, I'd drive by them every time. The average cost of a home in Longview, $337,500. 

Ellensburg  

In another article, Ellensburg was rated as the most expensive small town in Washington state, but they were using different statistics. We're using the cost of a home. The average cost of a home in Ellensburg, $437,000. 

Sequim 
Sometimes it's called the Palm Springs of Washington. (so is Yakima) Sequim has the least amount of rainfall in the entire state of Washington. They're also very famous for their Lavender festival. The average cost of a home in Sequim, $506,600. 

Coupeville 

This is one of those small towns that doesn't even show up on my radar, even though I've driven past it a few times on my visits to Whidbey Island. The average cost of a home in Coupeville is $542,400. 

Port Townsend
This is a lovely coastal town. I've had some relatives who have lived and worked there over the years. It's also a town that's very popular for vacationers. The average cost of a home in Port Townsend is $579,900. 

Leavenworth 

Closer to home for me is Leavenworth, WA, the “Bavarian village”. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come through Leavenworth every year, especially during the winter season for the Christmas tree lighting and also for Octoberfest. If you live in Leavenworth, it's very much a small-town feel. The average cost of a home in Leavenworth is $619,100. 

Winthrop 
Considered by us who live in Eastern Washington as the gateway to the North Cascades it is also the home of one of my favorite events, The Winthrop Rhythm and Blues Festival. A very scenic area and lots of people like to retire there. The average cost of a home in Winthrop is $621,500, 

Friday Harbor 

Described as a quaint, cozy, picturesque seaport town in the San Juan Islands. The average cost of a home in Friday Harbor is $831,500. 

Issaquah

I don’t think of this town as small, I almost think of it as a suburb of Seattle, although it is not. Years ago, it was more like its own standalone city. The town you always drove past when you were heading over Snoqualmie Pass. The average cost of a home in Issaquah is $891,500. 

Admittedly, this is not a complete list of all the small towns in Washington state, but it does give you a very good idea of what is really the most expensive small towns to live in.
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