Burien and Everett 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
Everett
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 17%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Growth
53 · Top 46%
vs58 · Top 35%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 31%
vs45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability
54 · Bottom 13%
vs52 · Bottom 11%
Access
95 · Top 40%
vs81 · Bottom 24%
Economic stability
58 · Bottom 46%
vs59 · Bottom 48%
Measured values
| Metric | Burien | Everett | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 51,513 | 111,845 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $91,318 | $83,512 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $49,093 | $45,488 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,131/sq mi | 3,329/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $638,800 | $565,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,782 | $1,740 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.6% | 49.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.2% | 28.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 12.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 222 | 544 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.3 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 96.5% | -13.5% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 72°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 38°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 39.3" | 33.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 2 mi | 31 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.1 min | 29.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 20 | 30 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.47 | 17.73 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 58.8% | 64.0% | 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.
Everett
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Burien, WA · Everett, WA · How this is calculated: methodology