10 Best Seattle Suburbs of 2024

Insider takes on the best towns in the Puget Sound region to help you find the next home to build your life in.  

Our Seattle based writers led by Carey Armstrong did another team effort on this guide – can you imagine what the writers room whiteboard looked like.  We added a special guest contributor to sharpen our insights for you, Robert Ott is the Managing Broker of Raintown Realty where he has facilitated 2,000+ real estate transactions over 30 years. 

Let’s go.

Live in Seattle and want to get a bit more elbow room or access to better public schools? Moving to Seattle and think you’d prefer to live outside of the city? Interested in some up-and-comers but concerned about safety? Look no further, this is your best resource for understanding the tradeoffs between Seattle’s best suburbs. We’ve ranked all the usual suspects by all the most common Seattle-area concerns to produce a top 10 list. Then we weighed in with the real story about each town, going beyond the numbers to get you the local scoop on what’s going on there. Our goal is to help you decide what Seattle suburb you really want to live in.

The Big List:

#1 Edmonds

With Puget Sound one way and the Olympics and North Cascades another, the views in Edmonds are hard to beat. Edmonds is a charming suburb to the north of Seattle with a walkable downtown featuring a solid shopping and dining scene with lots of local (read: non-chain) options. The downtown features a marina, beach parks, salt water smell, and the barking of harbor seals – it’s like a seaside village. Did you know Edmonds even has an underwater park? This is a lively community that comes together in its downtown on nearly any occasion – Porchfest, Perrinville Palooza, c’mon now they’re just making stuff up. In all seriousness, there is something cool going on in Edmonds every day. The Edmonds downtown is so good that folks from surrounding towns like Shoreline drive here to have fun instead of Seattle. 

What if you want to get out of Edmonds? Good news, it’s home to the Edmonds-Kingston Ferry that runs to the Olympic Peninsula, providing access to amazing outdoor adventures. It also has easy access to the Sounders Train down to Seattle, which makes for a lovely commute. As for driving, good news it’s close to I5, bad news it’s close to I5. Choose Edmonds if you’re looking for a place with a bit more charm and affordability than the Eastside. And get excited for the mid-century inventory, as Edmonds has more than its fair share of homes from the 60s in reasonably good shape – if not already restored. 

Broker Rob’s insights: Edmonds is among the older towns in the Seattle area, so there is little new construction. On top of that, residents often stay for a lifetime, so deals are scarce. Be ready to leap at new listings and expect to pull out your checkbook for updates and renovations.  

#2 Issaquah

Because it’s the easternmost suburb on our list, Issaquah has the advantage of being closest to skiing and hiking at Snoqualmie Pass (~30 min drive), which makes it a great place for families who like to hit the slopes among other mountain activities! The Issaquah Alps (Squak Mountain, Cougar Mountain, and Tiger Mountain) are all accessible from myriad points in Issaquah, and they are truly epic spots for hiking, trail running, and mountain biking. Lake Sammamish State Park in Issaquah is equally awesome for swimming, fishing, boating, and more, especially during the summer. Issaquah is a suburb for those who love the outdoors. 

While Issaquah is mostly planned residential communities built in the past 30 years, it does have a downtown at Front Street with a bit of an old town feel. It hosts important community events like Salmon Days, when nearly two tons of salmon return to the area each summer. And these residential communities may lack shopping, but they do have amenities like swimming pools and often even swim teams! Issaquah is quite car centric, and that can be rough given difficult morning and evening traffic from commuters. Like Kirkland, Issaquah won’t get light rail until the 2040s. Finally, this is a suburb known for safety and for its very good schools. 

Broker Rob’s insights: Issaquah has transformed from an anti-development single family home market to a market dominated by new townhome and condo mega projects. This flood of new inventory makes it a more reasonable market to win a home in.

#3 Bainbridge Island

If you work remotely or like the idea of riding a ferry into the city every day, Bainbridge is for you! Bainbridge Island is located across the Puget Sound from Seattle and is connected by the Agate Pass Bridge to the rest of Kitsap County – the only one of these suburbs in Kitsap! Bainbridge has a population of under 30,000 people and is relatively rural, with a very small but charming downtown that Seattleites enjoy visiting for day trips. Bainbridge is also the home of pickleball and the setting for the novel Snow Falling on Cedars. 

Bainbridge is well known for its intimate school district, among the best in the state with just 3,486 students. The district’s seven schools include three elementary schools so this is a manageable system for parents to navigate.

There is a pretty distinct difference in character between the original town of Winslow, near the ferry terminal, and the rest of the island. Winslow has substantially more socioeconomic diversity, and the home prices outside of Winslow have been off the charts since COVID hit and remote work opened Bainbridge up as an option for more families. Homes on Bainbridge often have amazing water views and are more often Cape Codsesque than you see in other Seattle towns. 

#4 Bellevue

Seattle’s The Stranger likes to call Bellevue “Mall City,” and while unkind it’s not without cause. The most prestigious fashion brands, from Hermes to Louis Vuitton, often locate in Bellevue rather than Seattle, especially as the appeal of Seattle’s downtown has faded since COVID. Plus, Seattle is the land of flannel, whereas Bellevue is home to people in heels. Bellevue also has some truly great restaurants — Din Tai Fung is one of our favorites even if the waits can be crushing. 

The “city” part of “Mall City” is probably the part that stings the most for Seattleites: Bellevue has grown up a ton in the past decade or two and now offers a competing skyline to Seattle’s. There are some mega employers in Bellevue, like T-Mobile, Amazon, Expedia, Pokemon, and PACCAR, which can mean an easy commute if you also live here. (Expedia is in the process of moving nearly all of its jobs to Seattle, but Amazon is in the process of moving many of its jobs to Bellevue.) Bellevue even has its own convention center, which recently lured the Lego convention from Seattle Center, where it was at the former home of the World’s Fair. And Bellevue’s 21-acre Downtown Park is the stuff of a proper city, with a fancier playground than any we’ve seen in Seattle.

And yes, when you choose to live in Bellevue, you’re almost choosing to live in a mini-city more than a simple suburb. Sure it has single family homes, but so does Seattle, albeit with smaller lot sizes and a lower concentration of McMansions. So if it’s not the peace and quiet that lure people to Bellevue, what is it? Certainly the sense that it’s clean and safe in Bellevue doesn’t hurt, as the homelessness crisis is more muted here. But perhaps the biggest reason people choose Bellevue is for its school district, which is pretty consistently the best in the state. The 19,000 students speak over 100 languages across 28 schools so this is a melting pot of different cultures. Plus, Bellevue is probably the best place to get great views of the Seattle skyline. And it’s always a quick drive back west across the 520 bridge, I90, or soon in 2024/5 the extension to the light rail if the citizens of Bellevue will deign to take public transit! 

Broker Rob’s insights: Bellevue’s development-friendly zoning program combined with a roaring tech jobs market has led to a robust real estate scene. This is a premium market with cranes constantly building condo towers and a broad single family market. Grab your checkbook, though, because it’s tough to find a quality home for under $2 million. All cash deals preferred. 

#5 Burien

Burien is either the “new old Capitol Hill” or “the new old West Seattle” or “the new old Ballard” – it’s hard to keep track. What’s clear is that the hipsters of Seattle are embracing the space and vibes of Burien. Burien has a thriving arts scene, great restaurants and bars, and reasonable traffic. It’s home to lots of new immigrant communities and the great grocery and restaurant options that often accompany them. A favorite of ours is the fresh tacos at Centro.

There are certainly downsides to Burien, though. First, the public schools are worse in Burien than in any other suburbs we cover here. If no kids, no problem, otherwise you’re looking at a steep bill for private school. Unfortunately, there is a fair amount of air traffic noise due to Burien’s proximity to SeaTac; on the other hand, the ride to SeaTac is short. Burien does have more crime than you might want in some areas, but Seahurst, Normandy Park, and Gregory Heights are great spots that are reasonably safe, and generally west of Ambaum is better than east. 

Broker Rob’s insights: This is a Seattle region real estate hot spot especially among couples without kids. A rare spot in the region with some real deals to be uncovered. Most homes are 1940s-70s vintage so need updating. 

#6 Redmond

Redmond is a quiet suburb to the east of Seattle and the longtime home of Microsoft. It has been seen as a company town for decades, and the scene is pretty sleepy. Redmond has been hailed for finding a way to grow sustainably and thoughtfully, avoiding legal fights that have plagued towns like Mercer Island. For example, it is planning to use the coming Sound Transit light rail station as an opportunity to further build up its already revamped downtown. Downtown Redmond has changed considerably in the past 5 years, with new restaurants, downtown parks, mixed use buildings, and bike trails connecting to other parts of town. 

One of Redmond’s key attractions is 560 acre Marymoor Park, which is one of the most popular destinations in the county. Marymoor has a 48-acre off leash dog park, hosts concerts through the summer and even has a permanent velodrome with weekly races in the summer. Redmond also has plenty of trails outside of Marymoor, such as the lovely soft and rolling second-growth forests of Bridle Trails for horseback riding and trail running. And it has a long list of great Chinese and Indian grocery stores and some stellar Asian restaurants too. 

Redmond is served by the large though excellent Lake Washington School District with 58 schools and 30,605 students. For those looking for a more moderate scale school, there are a few stellar private schools, such as Overlake for high achievers and Bear Creek for the more politically conservative. 

Broker Rob’s insights: A luxury real estate market focused on tech workers who haven’t yet graduated to Sammamish. Single family new builds with reasonable turnover of listings. 

#7 Kirkland

Did you know that the Costco and the Seahawks are both originally from Kirkland? Kirkland private-label brand products at Costco still make up a third of the company’s sales, even though it long ago defected to Issaquah. So don’t worry, if you move to Kirkland they won’t make you stay there forever!

Kirkland is located northeast of Seattle across Lake Washington, just north of Bellevue, and is oriented around the water with its heart at Marina Park and the small downtown that surrounds it. Downtown Kirkland has some truly incredible restaurants. Outside of downtown closer to Juanita Bay Park is the famous and much loved Cafe Juanita, recognized as Outstanding Service and Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. Juanita Bay Park is a 110-acre wildlife preserve popular for its easy hikes…ok fine they’re actually strolls. The city has some pretty reasonable bike trails and bike lanes, and it’s convenient to get into Seattle by car via the 520 or I5, but there aren’t any light rail connections slated for Kirkland until the 2040s.

Kirkland has excellent schools largely through the Lake Washington School District. Kirkland is filled with new construction homes, and the ones along the water will cause your jaw to drop both from the views and from the price tags.

Broker Rob: It’s where everyone wants to retire, with amazing lake access for those who are willing to pay for it. The demarcation line of east vs south of Market Street adds an extra $million to home prices. Land is tight, so anything new is likely a teardown and rebuild. 

#8 Sammamish

Until Sammamish was incorporated in the 90s, Redmond and Isssaquah just ran together across the plateau alongside Lake Sammamish in land that was part of unincorporated King County. It wasn’t until 1999 that Sammamish became a real town. Eh, is it a real town even now? The northern half of Sammamish is Redmond-oriented, and the southern half is Issaquah-oriented.

Whether a town or not, Sammamish is still a lovely place to live, with great lake and territorial views and mountains in the background. It just lacks that certain something a town draws from its town center, that feeling of collective identity that boosts community life. Certainly many in Sammamish identify more with their developments (for example, Klahanie) than with their town. 

Students in Sammamish can be assigned to schools in any of three districts, which can lead to pretty complicated snow day announcements from the city! But the schools are great nonetheless and they are a major reason people move to this suburb. Call it quality of life, not quality of town, that pulls them.

Broker Rob’s insights: This is where successful eastside tech execs go to raise their families. While traffic is thick, buyers are still leaning in for new build mansions with fancy architecture and lake views.

#9 Mercer Island

Connected by bridge to Seattle and Bellevue, Mercer Island is an island in the middle of Lake Washington. It is an incredibly tight knit suburb, perhaps as a result of its geography. The island is pretty special, with extensive hiking trails, great road biking, three public beaches, and a strong boating culture. It has a reasonably sized downtown that has the essentials you need and even a few good dining options. And it has exceptional public schools (6 schools and 4,069 students ), among the best in the state, which is a big draw for families.  

Which is to say, Mercer Island is just fine exactly like it is, thank you. This is the capital of NIMBYism in Washington, with active resistance to public transit, to zoning laws meant to encourage density, and more. You can think of Mercer Island as a gated community, but the gate is Lake Washington. Think families that have lived here for generations, think docks and boats and beach clubs and incredible sunsets, think vacation homes east of the mountains – that’s Mercer Island. Mercer Island is the most expensive of the suburbs on our list, and it has some truly amazing estates. If mid-century is your thing, there’s lots of that on offer here. 

Broker Rob’s insights: The region’s most powerful attorneys and dentists buy on Mercer Island, which has the region’s most expensive and most eclectic inventory of homes. Lots of 1960s and 1970s builds make for some interesting deals.

#10 Shoreline

Believe it or not Shoreline wasn’t a city until 1995 when King County pushed unincorporated areas to incorporate. Shoreline incorporated in part out of fear that Seattle would annex it! It is situated directly to the north of Seattle, and sometimes it’s hard to tell whether you’re still in Seattle or you’ve tripped into Shoreline without referencing the color of the compost bins. (This is the west coast, of course we have weekly compost pickup.) Shoreline is a mix of preposterously wealthy enclaves along the water (the Highlands, Innes Arden) and more reasonable places to live inland, especially around the bigger streets. There are some beautiful public beaches like Richmond Beach, though, that have awesome views of the Puget Sound. The more reasonable places are increasingly more out of reach, though, especially as smaller homes get gobbled up by builders like Pulte and friends to put up huge townhouse complexes. 

The Shoreline School District performs “ok” on quantitative measures and has 15 schools and 10,000 students.

Commerce in Shoreline leaves sometime to be desired, with perfectly nice shops that are unfortunately arranged in a strip mall pattern along the very dangerous Aurora Avenue. On the plus side, there is a huge opportunity for Shoreline to reimagine itself as a more urban community with the arrival of the first Sound Transit light rail stop in 2024 and the next the year after that. Perhaps Shoreline will even construct some reasonable sidewalks! 

Broker Rob’s insights: This is a more approachable and affordable way to live close to Seattle. Most homes were built in the mid-1950s, so ramblers, split levels and tri-levels abound.

What’s Next

For those of you looking to buy a home in one of these Best Neighborhoods, Tomo.com provides free access to the most up to date real estate listings. You also can connect with a free home search advisor to get your journey started – by phone or text. 

Next Guide: Is the Seattle Housing Market Going to Burst?