Sammamish and Bothell 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
Sammamish
Bothell
Opportunity
48 · Bottom 33%
vs52 · Bottom 42%
Growth
42 · Bottom 35%
vs38 · Bottom 30%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs74 · Top 35%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 31%
vs42 · Bottom 33%
Housing affordability
73 · Bottom 37%
vs64 · Bottom 26%
Access
93 · Top 48%
vs90 · Bottom 42%
Economic stability
80 · Top 7%
vs77 · Top 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Sammamish | Bothell | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 66,463 | 49,610 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $239,690 | $140,427 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $98,874 | $72,775 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,254/sq mi | 3,638/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $1,407,300 | $925,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,857 | $2,346 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 82.6% | 65.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -1.6% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 77.1% | 59.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 4.3% | 4.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 65 | 109 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.0 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 91.2% | -66.7% | 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 | 13 mi | 17 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 31.1 min | 29.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 39.9 | 38.6 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 15 | 19 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 19.82 | 18.35 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 6.4% | 22.1% | 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
Sammamish
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Bothell
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Full profiles: Sammamish, WA · Bothell, WA · How this is calculated: methodology