Everett receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Everett
Lakewood
Opportunity
40 · Bottom 18%
vs38 · Bottom 15%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs57 · Top 38%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs33 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability
52 · Bottom 11%
vs56 · Bottom 16%
Access
81 · Bottom 24%
vs87 · Bottom 33%
Economic stability
59 · Bottom 48%
vs50 · Bottom 32%
Measured values
| Metric | Everett | Lakewood | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 111,845 | 62,937 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $83,512 | $74,720 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,488 | $44,695 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,329/sq mi | 3,689/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $565,300 | $461,200 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,740 | $1,525 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.0% | 47.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.8% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.8% | 23.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 12.9% | 13.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 544 | 396 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 6.3 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -13.5% | -7.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 72°F | 76°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 33.4" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 31 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.3 min | 30.6 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.2 | 37.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 30 | 26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.73 | 16.19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 64.0% | 71.4% | 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
Everett
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Lakewood
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Everett, WA · Lakewood, WA · How this is calculated: methodology