Places › Washington › Issaquah

Living in Issaquah, WA

Suburb in Washington

Issaquah is a suburb in Washington, home to about 39,000 people, with 3.4 million living within 31 mi. Day to day, much of daily life is walkable. Life moves at a fast pace, and homes are mostly apartments.

Is Issaquah a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Strong healthcare: 11 top-rated (4–5★) hospitals within 31 mi
  • Mild summers: highs around 75°F
  • Easy flying: SEA is 14 mi away
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby

👎 Cons

  • Cloudier than most places
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $1.02M, and rent is $3,270 a month

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Issaquah ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
39,000
3.4 million within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
49°F / 75°F
Average daily highs · 4″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$1.02M
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$3,270/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
111
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$70
State income tax per resident · 0.78% property tax
Safety
0.1× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
13 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly earthquakes, flooding
Top-rated hospitals
11
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Excellent
Tests well above US average · 20 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
70%
1 research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
SEA
14 mi away

Living in Issaquah: common questions

What is the cost of living in Issaquah?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $1.02M, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,270 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 111, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Issaquah?

Washington collects about $70 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.78% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Issaquah safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.1× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Issaquah?

Public schools in Issaquah test well above the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 20 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Issaquah?

Issaquah has cool winters: winter days average around 49°F and summer days around 75°F, with roughly 4″ of snow a year.

Does Issaquah get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is high, mainly from earthquakes and flooding: 13 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 2.11 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Issaquah?

The nearest major airport is SEA, about 14 mi away.

How Issaquah scores

Each bar compares Issaquah with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeBig city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietUrban Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundMostly walkable Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature nearby Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateCool winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingVery expensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceFast-paced Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly apartments ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingPoor
💸Low taxesGood
💼Job marketGood
🏥HealthcareExcellent
🏫SchoolsExcellent
🎓EducationExcellent
🧸Kids & familyExcellent
🐕Dog-friendlyGood
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CultureGood
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersAverage
☀️SunnyPoor
🌤️Mild summersExcellent
✈️AirportExcellent

Places like Issaquah

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Bothell, WASuburb75 $834k$3,270/moVery safe Redmond, WASuburb75 $1.15M$3,270/moVery safe Bellevue, WASuburb71 $1.23M$3,270/moVery safe Edmonds, WASuburb72 $841k$3,270/moVery safe Kirkland, WASuburb70 $1.09M$3,270/moNo crime data Shoreline, WASuburb74 $747k$3,270/moVery safe

Nearby

Sammamish, WASuburb · 3 mi away78 $1.16M$3,270/moVery safe Bellevue, WASuburb · 6 mi away71 $1.23M$3,270/moVery safe Renton, WASuburb · 8 mi away68 $669k$3,270/moSafe Redmond, WASuburb · 10 mi away75 $1.15M$3,270/moVery safe Maple Valley, WASuburb · 12 mi away72 $681k$3,270/moVery safe Kirkland, WASuburb · 13 mi away70 $1.09M$3,270/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in Washington.

Is Issaquah right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

Take the free quiz →

Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.