Martha Lake vs North Lynnwood

Which is the better fit for you?

Martha Lake, WA
58
Area Score
Bottom 48% nationally
North Lynnwood, WA
57
Area Score
Bottom 42% nationally

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Martha Lake receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Martha Lake to North Lynnwood

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 112.7 against 112.7 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$239 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $2,310 in North Lynnwood against $2,549 in Martha Lake.
The median home
22% less
$616,400 in North Lynnwood against $785,400 in Martha Lake.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 37°F in North Lynnwood against 37°F in Martha Lake; July highs are 72°F against 72°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Martha Lake
North Lynnwood
Opportunity: Martha Lake is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
58 · Top 47%
vs
55 · Bottom 48%
Growth
57 · Top 35%
vs
57 · Top 35%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs
74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
45 · Bottom 35%
vs
45 · Bottom 35%
Housing affordability: Martha Lake is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
57 · Bottom 30%
vs
50 · Bottom 21%
Schools
48 · Bottom 47%
vs
48 · Bottom 47%
Access
87 · Bottom 32%
vs
87 · Bottom 32%
Economic stability: Martha Lake is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
75 · Top 13%
vs
69 · Top 26%

Measured values

MetricMartha LakeNorth LynnwoodSource period
Population22,63423,3392024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$124,494 — more favorable$101,0882024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$56,210 ±$4,448$50,670 ±$3,9352024 ACS 5-Year
Population density4,971/sq mi7,464/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$785,400$616,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$2,185 ±$91$2,145 ±$732024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,549$2,310 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index112.7112.72023
Homeownership rate63.2%43.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.0%5.0%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.7%−0.7%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher50.3% — more favorable43.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate8.4% ±3%6.3% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)3,5063,50612 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents4.24.212 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−9.1%−9.1%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high72°F72°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low37°F37°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation33.4"33.4"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport22 mi22 miNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate30.6 min ±1.8 min32.8 min ±2.3 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age34.733.92024 ACS 5-Year
Students per teacher18.818.82024-25 school year
Math proficiency52.5%52.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency67.4%67.4%2018-19 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.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison.

Physical risk tradeoff

Martha Lake

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

North Lynnwood

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Martha Lake
—
Martha Lake: Your Score
58
Area Score
North Lynnwood
—
North Lynnwood: Your Score
57
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Martha Lake, WA · North Lynnwood, WA · How this is calculated: methodology