While big cities like Seattle offer culture, cuisine, and charisma, they also deliver terrible traffic, towering expenses, and a taxing quality of life.
With that in mind, we wanted to uncover the best suburbs around Seattle. These burbs have all of the benefits of being near Seattle without actually having to be in the city.
Of course, not all suburbs of Seattle are created equally, which is precisely why we set out to find the best ones. Using Saturday Night Science, we delve into the factors that matter most, from commutes and housing costs to community vibes, to help you uncover the perfect suburban spots in the Greater Seattle area.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 best suburbs to live around Seattle for 2025:
What’s the best suburb of Seattle? Mercer Island ranks as the best suburb of Seattle for 2025 based on the most recent Census and FBI data. If you happen to be a resident of Mercer Island, you’re probably not too surprised to find it on the top our list.
We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 Seattle ‘burbs better than the rest–but first, a bit about our methodology.
Feel free to check out some more reading about Washington:
The 10 Best Seattle Suburbs To Live For 2025
/10
Population: 25,282
Median Income: $202,359
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Poverty Rate: 4.6%
More on Mercer Island: Data
Mercer Island is always mentioned as one of the best suburbs in the Seattle area. We’ll tell you the good about “Awesome Mercer Island.”
Everyone here is rich; families average $202,359 a year, which is the 4th highest in the Seattle region. And only 2.45% are out of work. Homes average more than $1,884,200 each.
/10
Population: 3,104
Median Income: $250,001
Unemployment Rate: 3.3%
Poverty Rate: 1.3%
More on Clyde Hill: Data
Clyde Hill is the second best ‘burb we looked at near Seattle for 2025.
It ranks 1st for incomes in the area and only 0.32% of residents lack insurance, good for best.
/10
Population: 66,375
Median Income: $227,273
Unemployment Rate: 2.7%
Poverty Rate: 4.4%
More on Sammamish: Data
Here in Sammamish, it’s really safe, and residents are just about as rich as you’ll see in the Seattle metro area.
The bad side? Schools are more crowded, and the cost of living puts a large part of the city out of reach for most families.
But price is based on demand and a lot of people want to live in Sammamish.
/10
Population: 2,889
Median Income: $249,688
Unemployment Rate: 2.3%
Poverty Rate: 4.5%
More on Medina: Data
Medina ranks as the 4th best suburb of Seattle for 2025.
You won’t find many better places to raise your kids in the region than in Medina and the schools are some of the best around.
/10
Population: 13,750
Median Income: $197,531
Unemployment Rate: 2.5%
Poverty Rate: 0.4%
More on Snoqualmie: Data
Coming in as the fifth best is Snoqualmie.
Snoqualmie gets kudos for having the 15th most expensive homes in the Seattle area, where houses sell for an average of $919,300. However, the cost of living here is among the highest in the area.
/10
Population: 13,440
Median Income: $158,723
Unemployment Rate: 4.3%
Poverty Rate: 2.9%
More on Woodinville: Data
Woodinville is proud of its 6th place finish on this list. And here’s why.
Most residents have great jobs and the unemployment rate sits at 4.26%.
According to online reports, Woodinville is quickly becoming one of the more affluent suburbs in the Seattle area, meaning you need to get in soon.
/10
Population: 24,607
Median Income: $159,882
Unemployment Rate: 3.2%
Poverty Rate: 2.7%
More on Bainbridge Island: Data
The 7th best suburb on our list goes to Bainbridge Island.
Bainbridge Island schools are some of the best in the region, and crime is really low. The cost of living makes it a lot more desirable for many families, especially first-time home buyers.
And, it’s only 7.5 miles to downtown, which is a good thing.
Just moved to Bainbridge Island last year and we think it’s fabulous! Weak reasons for BI to appear on this list! And I’ll take 35 minute ferry ride any day instead of sitting in my car in traffic!
That 35 minutes; read the paper, check emails, and a fabulous Happy Hour on the ride home! Are you kidding me!!! Who made up this list- BTW, there’s plenty to do on the island! Hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, shopping, boating, golf, tennis, should I go on-
/10
Population: 39,472
Median Income: $153,786
Unemployment Rate: 3.1%
Poverty Rate: 5.9%
More on Issaquah: Data
Issaquah is growing quickly, and for a good reason. Crime is far below average, and most residents are gainfully employed. Even the cost of living is reasonable.
A solid 1.55% of people lack insurance, good for 2nd in the area.
/10
Population: 5,678
Median Income: $144,728
Unemployment Rate: 1.1%
Poverty Rate: 1.1%
More on Black Diamond: Data
Is ‘Everything Better In Black Diamond?’
Almost.
It placed 9th on our list thanks to the fact that it’s really expensive to live here, but the schools are great, so you get what you pay for in that regard.
/10
Population: 13,356
Median Income: $158,868
Unemployment Rate: 3.9%
Poverty Rate: 3.6%
More on Lake Forest Park: Data
And rounding out the top ten for 2025 is Lake Forest Park.
This city is far above average in every category, and the best part? It’s far more affordable than the other cities listed above. So, you get a big bang for your buck here.
Methodology: How We Determined The Best Suburbs Around Seattle for 2025
Figuring out the best suburbs around Seattle was simple. We used Saturday Night Science to find things people like about living in the suburbs and then locate the suburbs with those things.
We analyzed the newest American Community Survey data for 2019-2023 to research each suburb. We decided upon the following criteria:
- Low unemployment rate
- High median household incomes
- Population density (lots of things to do)
- High home values
- A lot of college-educated people
- Low poverty
- High rate of insured families
We defined a suburb as being within 30 miles of Seattle.
Additionally, we limited the analysis to places that have over 2,000 people. This left us with a grand total of 54 suburbs to evaluate around Seattle.
We ranked each place with scores from 1 to 54 in each category, where 1 was the “best.
Next, we averaged the rankings for each place to create a quality-of-life index.
Finally, we crowned the city with the best quality of life index, the “Best Suburb near Seattle.” We’re lookin’ at you, Mercer Island.
This result may differ from our state-wide data as we did not include commute times and crime for this analysis to allow for a more extensive selection of suburbs.
We updated the data for 2025. This report is our tenth time ranking the best Seattle suburbs. Skip to the end to see the list of all the suburbs ranked from best to worst.
Summary: Welcome to the Best Seattle ‘Burbs of 2025
We said it once, and we’ll say it again–life in the big city isn’t for everyone. At least not all the time.
The best suburbs of Seattle are .
So if you’re craving the amenities of a larger city like Seattle but don’t want to deal with the drawbacks, one of these suburbs might be for you.
For more Washington reading, check out:
Table: Best Seattle Suburbs
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer Island, WA | 25,282 | $202,359 | $1,884,200 |
| 2 | Clyde Hill, WA | 3,104 | $250,001 | $2,000,001 |
| 3 | Sammamish, WA | 66,375 | $227,273 | $1,240,300 |
| 4 | Medina, WA | 2,889 | $249,688 | $2,000,001 |
| 5 | Snoqualmie, WA | 13,750 | $197,531 | $919,300 |
| 6 | Woodinville, WA | 13,440 | $158,723 | $1,032,900 |
| 7 | Bainbridge Island, WA | 24,607 | $159,882 | $1,076,200 |
| 8 | Issaquah, WA | 39,472 | $153,786 | $934,100 |
| 9 | Black Diamond, WA | 5,678 | $144,728 | $776,400 |
| 10 | Lake Forest Park, WA | 13,356 | $158,868 | $928,700 |
| 11 | Newcastle, WA | 12,945 | $162,646 | $1,128,200 |
| 12 | Redmond, WA | 75,721 | $162,099 | $1,091,700 |
| 13 | Kirkland, WA | 91,614 | $143,533 | $1,022,500 |
| 14 | Edmonds, WA | 42,783 | $116,095 | $840,200 |
| 15 | Normandy Park, WA | 6,659 | $144,821 | $943,500 |
| 16 | Mill Creek, WA | 20,846 | $121,578 | $836,300 |
| 17 | Maple Valley, WA | 28,121 | $147,546 | $672,000 |
| 18 | Bellevue, WA | 151,199 | $161,300 | $1,203,100 |
| 19 | Duvall, WA | 8,279 | $178,821 | $758,100 |
| 20 | Mukilteo, WA | 21,312 | $122,612 | $830,000 |
| 21 | Brier, WA | 6,507 | $138,256 | $824,500 |
| 22 | Kenmore, WA | 23,594 | $137,926 | $869,800 |
| 23 | North Bend, WA | 7,745 | $180,663 | $933,700 |
| 24 | Bothell, WA | 48,610 | $132,232 | $871,300 |
| 25 | Shoreline, WA | 59,280 | $113,336 | $759,400 |
| 26 | Gig Harbor, WA | 12,202 | $106,042 | $686,000 |
| 27 | Carnation, WA | 2,476 | $141,097 | $775,800 |
| 28 | Covington, WA | 20,957 | $126,730 | $590,100 |
| 29 | Edgewood, WA | 12,683 | $114,342 | $664,000 |
| 30 | Lake Stevens, WA | 39,500 | $118,290 | $593,900 |
| 31 | Fircrest, WA | 7,082 | $107,781 | $554,600 |
| 32 | University Place, WA | 34,850 | $94,952 | $578,100 |
| 33 | Mountlake Terrace, WA | 21,419 | $101,404 | $606,100 |
| 34 | Poulsbo, WA | 11,962 | $95,774 | $574,900 |
| 35 | Monroe, WA | 19,696 | $107,556 | $594,300 |
| 36 | Renton, WA | 105,279 | $96,626 | $631,400 |
| 37 | Snohomish, WA | 10,177 | $84,688 | $599,600 |
| 38 | Lynnwood, WA | 40,953 | $76,439 | $635,800 |
| 39 | Burien, WA | 51,331 | $90,597 | $609,300 |
| 40 | Tacoma, WA | 220,482 | $83,857 | $454,600 |
| 41 | Des Moines, WA | 32,545 | $89,787 | $539,800 |
| 42 | Auburn, WA | 85,455 | $95,367 | $510,400 |
| 43 | Federal Way, WA | 99,232 | $82,144 | $499,600 |
| 44 | Pacific, WA | 7,064 | $102,976 | $437,400 |
| 45 | Kent, WA | 135,015 | $90,416 | $537,500 |
| 46 | Milton, WA | 8,747 | $89,804 | $511,000 |
| 47 | Sumner, WA | 10,674 | $98,376 | $478,500 |
| 48 | Port Orchard, WA | 16,398 | $81,472 | $492,000 |
| 49 | Everett, WA | 111,083 | $81,502 | $532,300 |
| 50 | Fife, WA | 10,902 | $90,515 | $480,600 |
| 51 | Bremerton, WA | 44,531 | $74,399 | $409,500 |
| 52 | Seatac, WA | 31,143 | $76,517 | $483,200 |
| 53 | Algona, WA | 3,239 | $84,583 | $413,000 |
| 54 | Tukwila, WA | 21,479 | $80,534 | $462,800 |