Again, this was always going to be a high figure, and it's a mild surprise that it isn't even higher. The cost of housing and food will account for quite a lot of your income in the state of Washington, averaging at around $24,000. $16,000 of that is just your accommodation! The Evergreen State works hard for its nickname - it produces more apples, pears, and raspberries than anybody else in the union.
It's hard to think of Washington State without also thinking of Seattle, which has given us two of the world's largest corporations, and also one of the largest ever musical counter-culture movements. Bill Gates - founder of Microsoft - is a Seattle native, and the first-ever Starbucks opened here as well. Musically, it's the home of grunge music, and the place the world was first introduced to both Nirvana and Pearl Jam.