CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

48.32° N · 122.23° W · GEOID 5337526

Lake McMurray

Skagit County, Washington · part of the Mount Vernon, WA metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_household_income, median_gross_rent

WashingtonLake McMurray, WALake McMurrayLake McMurray

The short answer

Lake McMurray is home to 569 people. Median household income is $89,263 a year and median rent is $1,536 a month, 20.6% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $419,000, about 4.7x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,536
13% above the median place
Median household income
$89,263
11% above the median place
Median home value
$419,000
31% above the median place
Unemployment
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Lake McMurray

  • Household income has grown -26.7% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 190 Washington places.
  • 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 190 Washington places.
  • Only 0% of workers mostly work from home, fewer than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 184 Washington places.
  • Unemployment averaged 0.0% over the survey period, lower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 163 Washington places.
  • The median resident is 50 years old, older than in 92% of places its size.
01

Moving to Lake McMurray

Skagit County gains about 2.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in6,162
Moved out5,863
Net+299

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Washington, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WashingtonOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$83K
Leavers$74K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Skagit County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
6.0% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.7% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Skagit County report $83,300 a year in income on average; those leaving, $74,300, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$61,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,536 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,323 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $419,000.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 0.0% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Bliss Corner, MA matches it on character. Compare the two
Net movers per 1,000 people6
2.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6
$83,256
18% above the median place
Moved from another state1
1.7%
13% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureLake McMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.0%5% above
Moved from another state1County figure1.7%13% below
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure2.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$83,25618% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$74,3196% above
02

What it costs to live here

Homeownership is 100.0%, 51% above the median place.

Lake McMurray20.6%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$61,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
20.6%
1% above the median place
Home price to income
4.7x
23% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
21%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$69,700
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Lake McMurray, $1,536 a month, and local prices for everything else (101.3 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Lake McMurray.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Lake McMurray? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
100.0%
51% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$2,323
24% above the median place
Median home value1
$419,000
31% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureLake McMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1County figure$1,53613% above
Rent to income120.6%1% above
Property tax rate11.0%13% above
Home price to income14.7x23% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure102.42% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,6683% above
Property tax paid (median)1County figure$4,30832% above
Median home value1$419,00031% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure4.1%28% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure52.7%2% above
Homeownership1100.0%51% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure54.2%7% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,32324% above
Vacant homes1County figure8.3%17% above
Median year built119820% above
03

Work and pay

Unemployment is 0.0%, below the median place (median 4.9%).

Unemployment1
0.0%
below the median place (median 4.9%)
Works from home1
0.0%
below the median place (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureLake McMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1County figure$89,26311% above
Income per person1$52,88332% above
Unemployment10.0%below (median 4.9%)
Average annual pay5County figure$68,8264% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure5.3%43% above
Jobs5County figure54,14064% below
Poverty rate1County figure11.6%8% above
Mean commute1County figure26 min6% above
Works from home10.0%below (median 12.4%)
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 100.0%, 8% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
100.0%
8% above the median place
Median age1
50.0
28% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.7%
6% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureLake McMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15696646th largest
Median age150.028% above
Bachelor's or higher126.1%18% below
High school or higher197.7%6% above
Household size12.914% above
Born abroad1County figure9.0%2% above
No health insurance1County figure6.4%0% above
Homes with broadband1100.0%8% above
05

Life in Lake McMurray

31 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars24.7 +19%
Shops37.8 +25%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.9 +20%
Doctors' offices and clinics18.5 −8%
Child care centers2.8 +22%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Restaurants and bars per 10k7
24.7
19% above the median place
Shops per 10k7
37.8
25% above the median place
Public schools9
53
above the median place (median 9)
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureLake McMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure53above (median 9)
Public school students9County figure18,298274% above
Students per teacher9County figure17.715% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure24.719% above
Shops per 10k7County figure37.825% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.920% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure18.58% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.822% above
National Register listings8County figure31138% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 71°F, 18% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Lake McMurray. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high10
71°F
18% below the median place
Annual precipitation10
80.0 in
83% above the median place
Good air days12
97.5%
42% above the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureLake McMurrayAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure71°F18% below
January average low10County figure30°F18% above
Average temperature10County figure46°F16% below
Annual precipitation10County figure80.0 in83% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure88.84% below
Tornado risk11County figure11.286% below
Wildfire risk11County figure52.514% below
Heat wave risk11County figure68.924% below
Median air quality index12County figure2542% below
Good air days12County figure97.5%42% above
08

Lake McMurray in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$41,875 (2022)$47,500$39,000 to $58,000+1.6%
Median home value$419,000 (2024)$562,000$408,000 to $774,000+5.0%

The median home would be worth 11.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 10.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Lake McMurray

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Bliss Corner, MA$1,538$75,420Compare
Prescott Valley, AZ$1,580$74,569Compare
Jackson, CA$1,429$70,239Compare
Cherry Valley, CA$1,399$76,895Compare
Cherry Valley, CAJackson, CAPrescott Valley, AZBliss Corner, MALake McMurray, WALake McMurrayBliss CornerPrescott ValleyJacksonCherry ValleyLake McMurrayBliss CornerPrescott ValleyJackson

Common questions

Is Lake McMurray a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Household income has grown -26.7% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 190 Washington places. 100% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 190 Washington places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Lake McMurray expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 20.6% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $419,000.

What salary do you need to live in Lake McMurray?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $61,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Lake McMurray?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Bliss Corner, MA, Prescott Valley, AZ, Jackson, CA and Cherry Valley, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Lake McMurray with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Lake McMurray itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/lake-mcmurray-washington

Citytistics. “Lake McMurray, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/lake-mcmurray-washington/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.