Friday Harbor, Washington Demographics & Population 2026

Population Overview

Friday Harbor is a small community located in Washington, within San Juan County. The total population is 2,728. It ranks as the 271st most populous out of 628 Census-designated places in Washington.

Age Demographics

The median age in Friday Harbor is 42.6 years. This is 11% higher than the state median of 38.3 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Friday Harbor is $80,378. This is 18% lower than the state median of $98,141. It is also about the same as the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 12.8%. This is 29% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The unemployment rate is 2.7%. This is 47% lower than the state rate of 5.1%. The median home value is $570,400. Housing costs are 1% higher than the state median of $564,600. The home-value-to-income ratio of 7.1x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 59.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 7% lower than the state average of 63.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Friday Harbor is White (non-Hispanic), making up 74.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 19.1%. The Black or African American population (0.2%) is well below the state average of 3.9%. The Asian population (1.1%) is well below the state average of 9.7%.

Education

35.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 11% lower than the state rate of 39.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.5%. Notably, 15.8% of adults hold a graduate or professional degree, indicating a highly educated workforce.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Friday Harbor, Washington is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Washington state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 628 Census-designated places in Washington. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.