Skagit County, Washington Eviction Risk: Elevated

Skagit County carries an average eviction-risk score of 6.9/10, placing it in the Elevated tier and in the higher-risk third of Washington state. Among all 39 counties in the state, only 9 rank riskier, meaning 29 are more landlord-friendly than Skagit. For investors sizing up this market, that positioning matters: conditions here are noticeably more challenging than the statewide norm, driven by an average rent burden of 33%, a renter share of 37.2%, and a poverty rate of 13.1% across the county's roughly 85,800 residents.

The county average of 6.9/10 masks meaningful variation at the city level. The intra-county range runs from 5.1 to 7, a spread wide enough that landlords choosing between two properties just a few miles apart may be operating under substantially different risk profiles. Average asking rent across the county sits at $1,549, but local fundamentals shift quickly once you move from one city to the next.

The cities inside Skagit County

The highest-risk community in the county is Sedro-Woolley, scoring 7/10 with a population of 12,831. It is the only city in the county to hit the top of the local range, and landlords there should plan for the full spectrum of collection and compliance friction that Washington state law imposes. Hamilton follows at 6.7/10, and Big Lake comes in at 6.3/10 (population 2,326). The county seat, Mount Vernon, scores 6.2/10 with a population of 35,377, making it the largest rental market in the county by a significant margin. Burlington also scores 6.2/10 at a population of 10,003. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: Hamilton and Sedro-Woolley sit well above the county average, while communities such as Clear Lake (5.2/10) and Anacortes (5.7/10, population 17,966) represent meaningfully softer conditions.

Anacortes, as the county's second-largest city and a waterfront community, tends to attract a somewhat more stable renter pool, though its 5.7/10 score still represents Elevated risk. Landlords comparing Anacortes to Sedro-Woolley are looking at a gap of a full point, which translates into materially different default and turnover probabilities at the portfolio level.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Skagit County operates under Washington's Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RCW § 59.18), which imposes a structured and tenant-protective framework. For nonpayment of rent, the required notice period is 14 days under RCW 59.18.057. A material breach that is curable requires a 10-day notice, while waste, nuisance, or unlawful activity allows a shorter 3-day notice. No-cause terminations for tenancies under 6 months require 20 days, and just-cause no-fault grounds such as owner move-in or substantial rehab require a 90-day notice. Just-cause eviction protection is required statewide. Washington also caps rent increases at 7% plus CPI, with a maximum of 10%, and source-of-income discrimination is a protected class under state law. For a full breakdown of the Washington eviction process, including what each notice type triggers procedurally, landlords should review that guide before serving any notice.

On the cost side, the court filing fee in Washington is a flat $83. Sheriff lockout fees run $50 to $150, and attorney fees for an eviction action typically range from $1,000 to $3,500 depending on whether the case is contested. Uncontested cases typically resolve in 30 to 60 days; contested proceedings stretch to 60 to 150 days. Washington eviction costs can therefore reach several thousand dollars even in a straightforward case, which makes the upfront tenant-screening investment well worth the expense. Washington security deposit limits are set by state statute, and Washington tenant protections extend to retaliation claims under RCW § 59.18.240, meaning landlords must document every maintenance communication and lease enforcement action carefully.

With a poverty rate of 13.1% and a renter share of 37.2% across 20 cities, Skagit County's risk is distributed unevenly, so reviewing the city-level scores in the grid above is the most reliable way to calibrate your exposure before acquiring or managing property here.