Learn About Poverty

State & Local Data

2017 Low Income Needs Assessment
Community Action of Skagit County, working with the support of other service providers, local government and the private sector, produces a comprehensive community assessment for the following purposes:

  1. Explore and illustrate the dimensions of poverty in Skagit County;
  2. Provide a strategic planning tool for agencies, organizations and individuals seeking to confront poverty in Skagit County; and
  3. Present a locally significant and reliable study for use by local communities and funders and to attract resources necessary to combat poverty in Skagit County.

National Low Income Housing Coalition: Out of Reach Housing Wage Gap
Out of Reach documents the significant gap between renters’ wages and the cost of rental housing across the United States. The report’s central statistic, the Housing Wage, is an estimate of the hourly wage a full-time worker must earn to afford a modest rental home at HUD’s fair market rent (FMR) without spending more than 30% of his or her income on housing costs, the accepted standard of affordability. The FMR is an estimate of what a family moving today can expect to pay for a modestly priced rental home in a given area.

View the full report here.
View the Washington section here.

A Housing Wage is the wage needed to afford the average 2 bedroom rental. In Skagit County the housing wage is $23.56/ hour or $49,000 per year.

The average Skagit renter earns $16.23 or $33,760 per year, which means there is a $7.33 gap between the “housing wage” and “renter wage” in Skagit County.

COVID-19 Vulnerable Communities Data Tool
North Sound ACH has a new data tool to identify areas where individuals may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and who may be more impacted by social isolation orders. This data dashboard was created to share information that organizations can use to ensure health equity, by focusing resources toward communities that may be more vulnerable due to health, social, or economic conditions.

The dashboard includes the five North Sound counties and the tribal nations in the region. Data included on groups at higher risk for severe illness due to age, health conditions, and pregnancy, and data about socioeconomic conditions, including income, healthcare access, and behavioral health

Peace Health 2022-2025 Community Health Needs Assessment

Every three years, each PeaceHealth location conducts a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) as required by the 2010 Patient Care and
Affordable Care Act. Tax-exempt hospitals like Peace Health use the Community Health Needs Assessment to report current community needs, statistics and activities. They are also expected to develop an implementation strategy outlining their plans to improve the health and well-being of the communities they serve.

Skagit Scorecard

The Prosperity Now Scorecard assesses local areas on outcome measures that describe how well residents are faring in each state in terms of financial health and security. Download a report summarizing how your city, county, congressional district, metro area or tribal area performs on all outcome measures.

2020-2021 Community Health Assessment
Data and our community feedback regarding the state of health in Skagit County..

Affordable Housing: A Priority for a Healthy Population
The availability, affordability, and accessibility of housing directly impacts the health of all Skagit County residents.

First 1,000 Days: A Call to Action
A child’s brain grows very quickly during the First 1,000 Days of life, starting before birth. Children raised in stable,supportive environments do better in school and grow into healthier, more productive adults.

Opioid Summary Report & Reccomendations
A public health crisis has hit our nation and our local community. Opioid-related deaths have now surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death. Former President Obama, the US Surgeon General and Governor Inslee have called for funding, policy development, planning, education and action to turn the tide. Skagit County has taken this moment, and the momentum created by national and state leadership, to analyze, collaborate and ultimately solidify a team of community leaders dedicated to taking steps to address this epidemic

Skagit Housing Inventory and Transportation Analysis Report
Expanding housing opportunities and creating more affordability is a growing concern in Skagit County. In 2010, the Skagit County Board of County Commissioners established an Affordable Housing Advisory Committee to develop and recommend an affordable housing plan. The plan – Building a Skagit County Affordable Housing Strategy – was completed in 2012 and updated in 2016.

The Housing Inventory and Transportation Analysis, completed in 2017, is intended to build on the efforts of jurisdictions and nonprofit organizations to prove a more in-depth understanding of the local housing characteristics and affordability issues countywide

Washington State Apartment Market Report- Spring 2021
During the market survey, 1,191 apartments were surveyed in Skagit.

  • Overall apartment market: 0.3% vacancy rate
    • 0.6% vacancy rate for one-bedroom apartments
    • 0.0% vacancy rate for two-bedroom apartments
  • Lowest in the state
  • Wenatchee- 2nd lowest vacancy in the state
  • Statewide average: 5% vacancy rate (driven by higher vacancy rates in more urban areas of the state, particularly King & Snohomish county)
  • Statewide average for a one-bedroom minus the Puget Sound region: 1.1%

Reports & Tools from our Partners

What is 2Gen?
Two-generation (2Gen) approaches build family well-being by intentionally and simultaneously working with children and the adults in their lives together. The approach recognizes that families come in all different shapes and sizes and that families define themselves..

What is the Living Wage Calculator?
Families and individuals working in low-wage jobs make insufficient income to meet minimum standards given the local cost of living. We developed a living wage calculator to estimate the cost of living in your community or region based on typical expenses. The tool helps individuals, communities, and employers determine a local wage rate that allows residents to meet minimum standards of living.

How Are the Most Vulnerable Households Navigating the Financial Impact of COVID-19?

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep inequities and structural vulnerabilities plaguing our society, which disproportionately affect certain segments of the U.S. population. The seven million low- and moderate-income (LMI) immigrant households and the 8.1 million LMI immigrant workers in the civilian labor force are among those groups. Some of the most fundamental and essential industries in the economy rely heavily on the work of LMI immigrant workers. Yet, a large proportion of them are not able to access the safety nets and protections available to other workers.

This brief sheds light on the structural barriers that have made immigrant households particularly vulnerable to the financial shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects have included job or income loss, food insecurity, avoidance of medical care because of cost and missed rent or mortgage payments.

The Fragile Financial Stability of Immigrant Households in Light of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed deep inequities and structural vulnerabilities plaguing our society, which disproportionately affect certain segments of the U.S. population. The seven million low- and moderate-income (LMI) immigrant households and the 8.1 million LMI immigrant workers in the civilian labor force are among those groups. Some of the most fundamental and essential industries in the economy rely heavily on the work of LMI immigrant workers. Yet, a large proportion of them are not able to access the safety nets and protections available to other workers.

This brief sheds light on the structural barriers that have made immigrant households particularly vulnerable to the financial shock caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects have included job or income loss, food insecurity, avoidance of medical care because of cost and missed rent or mortgage payments.