Signals
Cottage Lake
Auburn
Opportunity
52 · Bottom 41%
vs40 · Bottom 18%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs41 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 38%
vs65 · Bottom 27%
Access
89 · Bottom 40%
vs94 · Top 43%
Economic stability
70 · Top 29%
vs70 · Top 29%
Measured values
| Metric | Cottage Lake | Auburn | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,518 | 85,676 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $213,106 | $97,884 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $93,328 | $42,587 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 990/sq mi | 2,897/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,230,700 | $547,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,740 | $1,786 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 91.1% | 60.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 5.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 67.8% | 25.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 3.2% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.8" | 39.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 11 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.4 min | 32.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 44.2 | 36.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 18.97 | 17.80 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 12.6% | 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
Cottage Lake
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Auburn
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
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Cottage Lake
67
Your Score
—
Area Score
Auburn
59
Your Score
52
Area Score
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Full profiles: Cottage Lake, WA · Auburn, WA · How this is calculated: methodology