Best Seattle Suburbs at Every Price Point: A 2026 Guide for People Relocating

The best Seattle suburbs at each price point are Lake Stevens, Maple Valley and Bonney Lake under $750K; Snohomish, Mukilteo and Gig Harbor from $750K to $1M; Mill Creek, Edmonds and Bothell from $1M to $1.25M; Issaquah and Woodinville from $1.25M to $1.5M; and Kirkland and Mercer Island above $1.5M. These are the areas my own relocation clients choose most often, and as a lifelong local who helps people move here, I break each one down below so you can match your budget to the right community.

By Bryce Greenleaf, Seattle-area Realtor and relocation specialist · Updated October 2026

How should you choose a Seattle suburb when you're relocating?

The Seattle metro has more than 77 cities spread across three counties and over 4 million people, so narrowing it down is no small job. The simplest starting point is your home-buying budget. I've grouped the most popular suburbs into five price categories based on each city's median home price.

Keep in mind these are medians, so there is plenty of crossover. You'll find great homes above and below each city's median, and it's worth looking at the categories on either side of your budget too. This list comes from the clients I've helped relocate since starting my YouTube channel about five and a half years before this video was recorded: these are the areas people consistently land on at each price point.

Which Seattle suburbs have a median home price under $750,000?

Lake Stevens

About 37 miles north of Seattle in Snohomish County, with a median home price right at $750,000 as of April 2026. The community is centered on the lake itself, with three major public parks offering swimming areas, boat launches, playgrounds and picnic shelters. It's ideal if you want to wakeboard, water ski or go tubing in summer, and the city hosts community events at its parks throughout the year.

Housing is a mix of 1980s and '90s neighborhoods plus a lot of newer construction, including homes only 5 to 10 years old and new communities still being built. Many families choose Lake Stevens for its schools.

Maple Valley

About 26 miles southeast of Seattle, with a median home price of $737,000 as of April 2026. I call Maple Valley "the Lake Stevens of the south." It has a similar family-oriented demographic, driven largely by the Tahoma School District, which ranked number 10 of roughly 250 districts in Washington State. Homes are mostly from the '80s, '90s and 2000s with some new construction. It's a slower-paced, low-key area with parks and access to Lake Wilderness, and the shopping centers feel newer overall.

Bonney Lake

About 37 miles south of Seattle in Pierce County, with a median home price of $650,000 as of April 2026. Bonney Lake is where buyers go when they want new construction with lots of choices in a master-planned community. The Seattle area has very few master-planned communities still building out because land is so limited, and Tehaleh is the big exception. It has thousands of homes built and under construction, with five or six builders to choose from at a range of floor plans and prices.

Prices in Tehaleh run higher than the city median because it's all new construction, but it remains one of the most affordable new-construction options in the metro. Most new homes there fall in the $700,000 to $900,000 range, with some in the $600s. The rest of Bonney Lake has the everyday shopping you need, plus some older areas with homes from the '60s and '70s.

What are the best Seattle suburbs between $750,000 and $1 million?

Snohomish

About 30 miles northeast of Seattle, with a median home price of $900,000 as of April 2026. Snohomish neighbors Lake Stevens, so you get easy access to that lake as well as Blackmans Lake and plenty of trails. What sets Snohomish apart is its historic riverfront downtown, one of the best small historic downtowns in the metro, with restaurants, coffee shops, bars, parades, art walks and festivals throughout the year.

Snohomish began as a small rural town and has grown quickly. Its biggest draw is space: you can find 1 to 5 acre parcels in neighborhoods like Fobes Hill close to downtown, or go farther out for 10, 20 or more acres. The south side has newer, tighter-knit subdivisions on smaller lots. It's known for fall activities like corn mazes and pumpkin patches, plus wedding venues, and the school district was rated number two in Snohomish County.

Mukilteo

About 22 miles north of Seattle, with a median home price of $975,000 as of April 2026. Mukilteo is a waterfront beach town. The waterfront is fairly low-key, though there are plans to revitalize it. Today you'll find a couple of seafood restaurants on the water, a public beach with a playground, beach volleyball courts and picnic shelters, and the ferry terminal for day and weekend trips. There's also a good golf course, and neighborhoods with homes built from the '70s and '80s into the mid-2000s. The district was ranked number four in Snohomish County, and Kamiak High School is rated 9 out of 10 on GreatSchools.

Gig Harbor

About 44 miles southwest of Seattle in Pierce County, at the very edge of the metro, with a median home price of $840,000 as of April 2026. Gig Harbor is the farthest out on this list, so it's not a place to live if you commute into Seattle or Bellevue several times a week. It suits remote workers, people working on the south side, and retirees.

It's one of the most quintessential Pacific Northwest towns in the region: water views, tall evergreens, trails everywhere and great access for kayaks, paddle boards and boats. It's long been popular with retirees, and more young families have been moving in. Housing ranges from acreage properties (small acreage up to 5 to 10 acres) to typical subdivisions and Canterwood, an upscale gated golf course community.

Which Seattle suburbs have median prices between $1 million and $1.25 million?

Mill Creek

About 22 miles north of Seattle, with a median home price of $1,115,000 as of April 2026. Mill Creek has a small-town feel anchored by Mill Creek Town Center, a newer plaza with shops, restaurants, a grocery store and events throughout the year. Most neighborhoods were built in the '80s, '90s and early 2000s, and there isn't much active new construction because the city has a small footprint. The Mill Creek Country Club neighborhood is one of the better country club communities in the metro, with more varied architecture built mostly from the '70s to the '90s. Jackson High School is rated 9 out of 10 on GreatSchools.

Many of my clients tell me Mill Creek is about as far north as they're willing to go with a daily commute into Seattle or the Eastside, while still getting more home for their money.

Edmonds

About 17 miles north of Seattle on Puget Sound. Edmonds is an older waterfront community with one of the best historic downtowns in the region, even better than Snohomish in my view. Main Street is lined with shops and restaurants, and the waterfront has beaches like Brackett's Landing, a marina park and a great off-leash dog park. I grew up coming here as a kid and still bring our daughters; it's one of the best beaches in the area.

Most homes were built between the 1950s and the 1990s, many in the '70s and '80s, in scattered neighborhoods rather than planned communities. New construction is mostly one-off rebuilds. The most desirable and most expensive area is "the Bowl" next to downtown, which gives you walkable access to the downtown core.

Bothell

About 20 miles northeast of Seattle, with a median home price of $1,125,000 as of April 2026. Bothell is Mill Creek's direct neighbor to the south and is commutable five days a week to the area's highest-paying jobs in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland or Seattle. It's in the Northshore School District, ranked number three in Washington State. Bothell has a small downtown with walkable shops and restaurants, which many suburbs lack. Homes are mostly from the '80s, '90s and early 2000s, with some newer construction and more affordable condos and townhomes. It's a good choice if you want a commutable location in a top school district for less than cities farther south on the Eastside.

What are the best Seattle suburbs between $1.25 million and $1.5 million?

Issaquah

About 16 miles east of Seattle, with a median home price of $1.4 million as of April 2026. Issaquah is one of the best places to live if you love the outdoors, with evergreen forests and an endless supply of hiking and biking trails. You can live on Tiger Mountain or Cougar Mountain in heavily wooded neighborhoods with half-acre to one-acre lots, or in the Issaquah Highlands, one of the best master-planned communities built in the metro in the last couple of decades, with single-family homes, townhomes and condos around a shopping center and a hospital. Old Town Issaquah adds restaurants and a walkable core. It's commutable daily to the Eastside or Seattle, and its school district ranked number five in the state.

Woodinville

About 22 miles northeast of Seattle, with a median home price of $1,475,000 as of April 2026. Woodinville sits right next to Bothell, shares the Northshore School District, and is just as commutable. It's known as wine country, with tasting rooms everywhere, good trail access and a tight-knit feel. The Harvest is a wine village with restaurants, shops, townhomes and a new luxury hotel, and a newly approved Midtown Woodinville development will add more retail and housing. You'll find a wide mix of homes, including many luxury neighborhoods.

Which Seattle suburbs are best if your budget is over $1.5 million?

Kirkland

About 10 miles northeast of Seattle, with a median home price of $1,595,000 as of April 2026. Kirkland is one of my favorite cities; we lived here before we had kids. Its upscale, intimate downtown sits right on Lake Washington, and between downtown and Juanita Beach you have multiple spots to swim, picnic, launch a boat, water ski or paddle board. Luxury neighborhoods on the edge of downtown give you walkable access, and areas farther out are more affordable. The Lake Washington School District ranked number four in the state.

Mercer Island

About 7 miles east of Seattle, with a median home price of $2,550,000 as of April 2026, the most expensive on this list. Mercer Island sits in Lake Washington between Seattle and Bellevue, with I-90 running through it, so it's very convenient for in-office commuters to either city. It's mostly residential and slower paced, so you'll head into Seattle or Bellevue for more to do. Expect luxury homes, lots of water views, a friendly community and one of the best school districts in the state, ranked number two.

How do these Seattle suburbs compare?

Frequently asked questions about the best Seattle suburbs by price

What is the most affordable Seattle suburb for new construction?

Bonney Lake, specifically the Tehaleh master-planned community, is one of the most affordable places in the Seattle metro to buy new construction. As of April 2026, most new homes there ran $700,000 to $900,000, with some in the $600s, and buyers could choose from five or six builders.

How far north can you live and still commute to Seattle or Bellevue daily?

Many relocation clients tell Bryce that Mill Creek, about 22 miles north of Seattle, is the farthest north they're willing to go with a daily commute into Seattle or the Eastside. Bothell and Woodinville, just to the south and east, are also commutable five days a week.

Which Seattle suburbs have the best school districts?

Among the suburbs in this guide, Mercer Island's district ranked number two in Washington State, Northshore (Bothell and Woodinville) number three, Lake Washington (Kirkland) number four, and Issaquah number five on public rating sites as of April 2026. Under $750,000, Lake Stevens was rated the top district in Snohomish County.

Is Gig Harbor a good place to live if you work in Seattle?

Gig Harbor is about 44 miles southwest of Seattle at the edge of the metro, so it's not a good fit if you commute to Seattle or Bellevue several times a week. It's better suited to remote workers, people working on the south side, and retirees who want a classic Pacific Northwest setting.

Where can you buy acreage near Seattle?

Snohomish is known for acreage, from 1 to 5 acre parcels in neighborhoods like Fobes Hill near downtown to properties of 10, 20 or more acres farther out. Gig Harbor also offers small-acreage and 5 to 10 acre properties.

What is the most expensive suburb on this list?

Mercer Island, with a median home price of $2,550,000 as of April 2026. It sits between Seattle and Bellevue on I-90, making it one of the most convenient places to live for in-office commuters.