Issaquah and Seattle 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
Issaquah
Seattle
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 44%
vs53 · Bottom 43%
Growth
58 · Top 35%
vs61 · Top 31%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 31%
vs41 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 28%
vs59 · Bottom 19%
Access
93 · Top 44%
vs95 · Top 40%
Economic stability
78 · Top 11%
vs68 · Top 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Issaquah | Seattle | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,591 | 754,195 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $154,669 | $123,860 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $95,118 | $86,095 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,264/sq mi | 8,979/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $963,000 | $938,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,590 | $2,030 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.4% | 43.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 70.5% | 68.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 5.2% | 9.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 165 | 4,827 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.2 | 6.4 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 345.9% | 25.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.7" | 37.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 7 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.1 min | 28.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.5 | 35.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 7 | 109 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 17.44 | 16.89 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 10.9% | 33.9% | 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.
Seattle
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Issaquah, WA · Seattle, WA · How this is calculated: methodology