The Town Files

Granite Falls, Washington

City in Snohomish County · population 4,450 (2020 Census)

Map: where Granite Falls is in WashingtonGranite Falls
Median home
$562,700
Household income
$105,136
Jan low / Jul high
29° / 77°
Snow a year
4 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
2
Median age
36.6

Granite Falls is a city of 4,450 people in Snohomish County, Washington. The median home is worth $562,700, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for a vacation home than 85% of Washington towns.

How Granite Falls ranks

Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.

Granite Falls lifestyle rankings vs other Washington townsRetirement51st pctFamilies63rd pctQuiet68th pctWalkability55th pctFirst-time buyers53rd pctYoung professionals16th pctVibrancy45th pctHip & trendy62nd pctCollege town30th pctUpscale39th pctVacation homes85th pctSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit24th pctDriving64th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Granite Falls is worth $562,700, above the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $105,136, which is more affordable than 47% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,825 a month. 83.9% of households own their home.

Granite Falls vs Snohomish County vs typical Washington townGranite FallsSnohomish CountyTypical Washington townHome value$562,700$696,000$475,000Household income$105,136$111,246$90,625Monthly rent$1,825$1,949$1,597
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Washington towns with 500+ people.
HousingGranite FallsTypical Washington town
Median home value$562,700$475,000
Median rent$1,825$1,597
Median household income$105,136$90,625
Home value ÷ income5.4×5.3×
Homeownership83.9%74.4%
Median year built19991985
Seasonal / vacation homes2.0%—

Who lives in Granite Falls

PeopleGranite FallsTypical Washington town
Median age36.640.1
Age 65 and over13.4%17.9%
Under 1824.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher25.5%27.6%
Below the poverty line3.4%8.5%
Veterans10.2%—
Born outside the U.S.12.1%—
Work from home11.8%13.4%
Average commute35.5 min27.1 min
Homes with broadband91.1%93.9%

Weather in Granite Falls

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 28.6°F. About 49.0 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.9 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 5 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 94 nights at or below freezing.

Granite Falls monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32° freezing47°29°Jan51°28°Feb54°32°Mar60°35°Apr67°41°May71°45°Jun77°48°Jul78°47°Aug72°42°Sep61°37°Oct52°31°Nov46°28°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue5.90.64.41.15.00.34.33.42.71.11.32.54.97.20.26.21.6
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Arlington station (10.6 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 2 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Granite Falls since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 13, 1986 about 9.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 13, 1986.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Granite Falls by decade01950s01960s11970s11980s01990s02000s02010s02020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Severe weather in Snohomish County since 1996

Storm events in Snohomish County since 1996 by typeHail3Flood10Tornado4Lightning9Heavy Rain4Debris Flow6Flash Flood1Funnel Cloud9
NOAA Storm Events Database, Snohomish County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 44 deaths recorded.

Snohomish County has been included in 37 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
December 12, 2025FloodEM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 12, 2023Severe StormDR-4682: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
September 10, 2022FireFM-5455: Bolt Creek Fire
April 8, 2021Severe StormDR-4593: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides

Jobs and pay in Snohomish County

Snohomish County had 297,617 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $79,940 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Granite Falls itself the ACS puts it at 2.4%.

Largest industries in Snohomish CountyManufacturing55,884 jobs · $117,340Health care & social assistan…36,554 jobs · $66,772Retail34,523 jobs · $46,981Construction24,847 jobs · $79,572Hotels & restaurants24,372 jobs · $31,464Professional & technical serv…16,201 jobs · $136,658
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Snohomish County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Snohomish 3.5%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Granite Falls

6 public schools with 2,342 students, about 19.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Mountain Way ElementaryPK-257918.7
Granite Falls High School9-1255519.8
Monte Cristo Elementary3-648217.2
Granite Falls Middle School6-846221.0
Crossroads High School9-1221223.6
Granite Falls Open Doors9-1252—

Towns near Granite Falls

Granite Falls questions

Is Granite Falls, Washington a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Granite Falls scores better for retirees than 51% of Washington towns and quieter than 68%. 13.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).

How much does a house cost in Granite Falls?

The median owner-occupied home in Granite Falls is valued at $562,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $105,136, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $1,825 a month.

What is the weather like in Granite Falls?

July highs average 77.3°F and January lows 28.6°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 49.0 inches of precipitation a year and 3.9 inches of snow.

Does Granite Falls get tornadoes?

2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Granite Falls since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 13, 1986. The typical Washington town has had 1.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Granite Falls's Census boundary (GEOID 5327995). Comparisons use the median of Washington towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.