Issaquah receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Issaquah
Kent
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 44%
vs39 · Bottom 16%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs28 · Bottom 15%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 31%
vs41 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 28%
vs54 · Bottom 14%
Access
93 · Top 44%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
78 · Top 11%
vs66 · Top 39%
Measured values
| Metric | Issaquah | Kent | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,591 | 135,603 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $154,669 | $92,302 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $95,118 | $42,664 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,264/sq mi | 4,008/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $963,000 | $587,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,590 | $1,909 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.4% | 57.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 5.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.5% | 29.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.2% | 10.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 165 | 109 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 0.8 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 345.9% | -12.1% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 38°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 39.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 6 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 33.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 35.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 27 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.44 | 17.83 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 10.9% | 64.7% | 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
Issaquah
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Kent
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Issaquah, WA · Kent, WA · How this is calculated: methodology