Burien and Auburn receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Burien
Auburn
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Growth
53 · Top 46%
vs32 · Bottom 19%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 31%
vs41 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs65 · Bottom 27%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Burien | Auburn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,513 | 85,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,318 | $97,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,093 | $42,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,131/sq mi | 2,897/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $638,800 | $547,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,782 | $1,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.6% | 60.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.2% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 222 | 49 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 0.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.3" | 39.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 32.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.4 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.47 | 17.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 58.8% | 63.1% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Burien
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Auburn
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Burien, WA · Auburn, WA · How this is calculated: methodology