Are you sick of being a city slicker?
Do you long for life in suburban Washington? Where you can drive an overly-large vehicle to the store for groceries and schlep the kids around to practices and appointments without worrying about a parking space.
We do, too.
If you wanted to move out to the suburbs of Olympia, where would you go? And how would you decide on the ranking factors to help you pick which Washington suburb was best?
No worries. We got it all figured out here using Saturday Night Science.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
These are the 10 best suburbs in the Evergreen State
Mercer Island is the place to be when it comes to being a soccer mom in suburban Washington.
So if you’re thinking of packing up your mini van and making a move to a quiet place to live in Washington, we’ve got you covered.
Keep on reading for a detailed methodology. Or, check out the best places to live in Washington and the best places to raise a family in Washington.
Best Suburbs In Washington For 2025
/10
Population: 25,282
Median Income: $202,359
Average Home Price: $1,884,200
More on Mercer Island: Data
Mercer Island is located 7 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 66,375
Median Income: $227,273
Average Home Price: $1,240,300
More on Sammamish: Data
Sammamish is located 14 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 13,750
Median Income: $197,531
Average Home Price: $919,300
More on Snoqualmie: Data
Snoqualmie is located 23 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 6,659
Median Income: $144,821
Average Home Price: $943,500
More on Normandy Park: Data
Normandy Park is located 12 miles south of Seattle.
/10
Population: 91,614
Median Income: $143,533
Average Home Price: $1,022,500
More on Kirkland: Data
Kirkland is located 8 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 13,356
Median Income: $158,868
Average Home Price: $928,700
More on Lake Forest Park: Data
Lake Forest Park is located 10 miles north of Seattle.
/10
Population: 39,472
Median Income: $153,786
Average Home Price: $934,100
More on Issaquah: Data
Issaquah is located 15 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 75,721
Median Income: $162,099
Average Home Price: $1,091,700
More on Redmond: Data
Redmond is located 11 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 13,440
Median Income: $158,723
Average Home Price: $1,032,900
More on Woodinville: Data
Woodinville is located 13 miles east of Seattle.
/10
Population: 5,678
Median Income: $144,728
Average Home Price: $776,400
More on Black Diamond: Data
Black Diamond is located 21 miles east of Tacoma.
Methodology:How we crunched the suburb numbers for the Evergreen State
We have to use Saturday Night Science and look at several metrics to give you the best suburbs in Washington. We want to measure the type of place around major cities that people arguing at a bar would say makes it the “best suburb.”
First, we had to define a suburb. Using U.S. Census data produced for the state of Washington, we looked at every town with at least 5,000 residents, and within 30 miles of a city that’s over 200,000 people.
In other words, suburbs.
We paid particular attention to the following criteria:
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Population Density (Higher is Better)
- Unemployment Rates
- Commute Time
- Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We ranked each suburb in Washington across these criteria from one to 73, with one being the best.
We then took the average rank across all criteria, with the town posting the lowest overall score being crowned the winner of the title “Best Suburb To Live In Washington.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and ideal places to live in Washington.
Read on to see why Mercer Island is the ‘burb with the most, while Tukwila is probably not the best place to live in Washington.
Summary: There You Have It – The Best Suburbs In Washington
If you’re measuring the locations in Washington where there are lots to do, and everyone wants to live, this is an accurate list.
The best suburbs in Washington are Mercer Island, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Normandy Park, Kirkland, Lake Forest Park, Issaquah, Redmond, Woodinville, and Black Diamond.
Here’s a look at the worst suburbs in Washington according to the data:
- Tukwila
- Shelton
- Lakewood
For more Washington reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In Washington
- Cheapest Places To Live In Washington
- Most Dangerous Cities In Washington
- Richest Cities In Washington
- Safest Places In Washington
- Worst Places To Live In Washington
- Most Expensive Places To Live In Washington
The Best Suburbs In Washington
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercer Island | 25,282 | $202,359 | $1,884,200 |
| 2 | Sammamish | 66,375 | $227,273 | $1,240,300 |
| 3 | Snoqualmie | 13,750 | $197,531 | $919,300 |
| 4 | Normandy Park | 6,659 | $144,821 | $943,500 |
| 5 | Kirkland | 91,614 | $143,533 | $1,022,500 |
| 6 | Lake Forest Park | 13,356 | $158,868 | $928,700 |
| 7 | Issaquah | 39,472 | $153,786 | $934,100 |
| 8 | Redmond | 75,721 | $162,099 | $1,091,700 |
| 9 | Woodinville | 13,440 | $158,723 | $1,032,900 |
| 10 | Black Diamond | 5,678 | $144,728 | $776,400 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 12,945 | $162,646 | $1,128,200 |
| 12 | Bainbridge Island | 24,607 | $159,882 | $1,076,200 |
| 13 | Brier | 6,507 | $138,256 | $824,500 |
| 14 | Camas | 26,779 | $140,053 | $656,100 |
| 15 | Mukilteo | 21,312 | $122,612 | $830,000 |
| 16 | Kenmore | 23,594 | $137,926 | $869,800 |
| 17 | Edmonds | 42,783 | $116,095 | $840,200 |
| 18 | Bellevue | 151,199 | $161,300 | $1,203,100 |
| 19 | Maple Valley | 28,121 | $147,546 | $672,000 |
| 20 | Mill Creek | 20,846 | $121,578 | $836,300 |
| 21 | Bothell | 48,610 | $132,232 | $871,300 |
| 22 | Liberty Lake | 12,435 | $105,599 | $506,000 |
| 23 | North Bend | 7,745 | $180,663 | $933,700 |
| 24 | Lake Stevens | 39,500 | $118,290 | $593,900 |
| 25 | Shoreline | 59,280 | $113,336 | $759,400 |
| 26 | Fircrest | 7,082 | $107,781 | $554,600 |
| 27 | Bonney Lake | 22,776 | $131,524 | $558,900 |
| 28 | Orting | 8,957 | $120,994 | $452,800 |
| 29 | Gig Harbor | 12,202 | $106,042 | $686,000 |
| 30 | Poulsbo | 11,962 | $95,774 | $574,900 |
| 31 | Edgewood | 12,683 | $114,342 | $664,000 |
| 32 | Duvall | 8,279 | $178,821 | $758,100 |
| 33 | Ridgefield | 12,576 | $117,550 | $590,200 |
| 34 | Covington | 20,957 | $126,730 | $590,100 |
| 35 | Enumclaw | 12,663 | $116,563 | $498,700 |
| 36 | Dupont | 9,952 | $114,423 | $550,200 |
| 37 | University Place | 34,850 | $94,952 | $578,100 |
| 38 | Battle Ground | 21,293 | $100,185 | $452,000 |
| 39 | Steilacoom | 6,683 | $97,634 | $594,600 |
| 40 | Buckley | 5,306 | $121,719 | $506,400 |
| 41 | Mountlake Terrace | 21,419 | $101,404 | $606,100 |
| 42 | Monroe | 19,696 | $107,556 | $594,300 |
| 43 | Tumwater | 26,519 | $93,635 | $438,000 |
| 44 | Sultan | 5,770 | $85,278 | $455,500 |
| 45 | Washougal | 16,945 | $100,916 | $492,100 |
| 46 | Snohomish | 10,177 | $84,688 | $599,600 |
| 47 | Lacey | 57,088 | $87,277 | $427,900 |
| 48 | Renton | 105,279 | $96,626 | $631,400 |
| 49 | Burien | 51,331 | $90,597 | $609,300 |
| 50 | Woodland | 6,513 | $83,193 | $384,100 |
| 51 | Olympia | 55,583 | $76,930 | $457,900 |
| 52 | Yelm | 10,618 | $88,279 | $439,100 |
| 53 | Lynnwood | 40,953 | $76,439 | $635,800 |
| 54 | Puyallup | 42,642 | $95,639 | $507,000 |
| 55 | Des Moines | 32,545 | $89,787 | $539,800 |
| 56 | Cheney | 12,830 | $47,039 | $330,300 |
| 57 | Everett | 111,083 | $81,502 | $532,300 |
| 58 | Spokane Valley | 105,460 | $70,722 | $344,300 |
| 59 | Vancouver | 192,696 | $78,156 | $440,300 |
| 60 | Pacific | 7,064 | $102,976 | $437,400 |
| 61 | Milton | 8,747 | $89,804 | $511,000 |
| 62 | Port Orchard | 16,398 | $81,472 | $492,000 |
| 63 | Kent | 135,015 | $90,416 | $537,500 |
| 64 | Bremerton | 44,531 | $74,399 | $409,500 |
| 65 | Auburn | 85,455 | $95,367 | $510,400 |
| 66 | Sumner | 10,674 | $98,376 | $478,500 |
| 67 | Federal Way | 99,232 | $82,144 | $499,600 |
| 68 | Seatac | 31,143 | $76,517 | $483,200 |
| 69 | Fife | 10,902 | $90,515 | $480,600 |
| 70 | Airway Heights | 10,766 | $64,659 | $286,900 |
| 71 | Lakewood | 63,034 | $70,524 | $420,500 |
| 72 | Shelton | 10,619 | $60,589 | $296,100 |
| 73 | Tukwila | 21,479 | $80,534 | $462,800 |