Bellevue vs Edmonds

Which is the better fit for you?

Bellevue, WA
63
Area Score
Top 34% nationally
Edmonds, WA
62
Area Score
Top 39% nationally

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Bellevue receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Bellevue to Edmonds

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 112.7 against 112.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$1,083 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $2,380 in Edmonds against $3,463 in Bellevue.
The median home
34% less
$890,100 in Edmonds against $1,340,300 in Bellevue.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 37°F in Edmonds against 37°F in Bellevue; July highs are 72°F against 77°F (summers 5°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Bellevue
Edmonds
Opportunity: Edmonds is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs
60 · Top 42%
Growth: Edmonds is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
73 · Top 11%
vs
74 · Top 10%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs
74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience: Edmonds is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 31%
vs
45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability: Bellevue is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 31%
vs
48 · Bottom 18%
Schools: Bellevue is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
79 · Top 14%
vs
63 · Top 32%
Access: Bellevue is the more favorable of the two.
Access
95 · Top 42%
vs
88 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability: Edmonds is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
64 · Top 38%
vs
76 · Top 11%

Measured values

MetricBellevueEdmondsSource period
Population151,84742,7352024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$165,576 — more favorable$122,4492024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$97,015 — more favorable$78,7082024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,537/sq mi4,793/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$1,340,300$890,1002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,572$1,903 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$3,463$2,380 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index112.7112.72023
Homeownership rate52.0%70.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.5% — more favorable4.6%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.3%−0.7% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher72.1% — more favorable54.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate6.6%3.7% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)1,76745212 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents11.6 — more favorable10.612 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)+200.5%+841.7% — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Average July high77°F72°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low37°F37°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation37.8"33.4"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport8 mi — more favorable20 miNASR current cycle
Average commute25.5 min — more favorable29.0 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age38.546.92024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools30132024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.618.4 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency71.0% — more favorable57.9%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency78.9% — more favorable71.5%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility25.2%34.6%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Bellevue

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Edmonds

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Bellevue
—
Bellevue: Your Score
63
Area Score
Edmonds
—
Edmonds: Your Score
62
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Bellevue, WA · Edmonds, WA · How this is calculated: methodology