Random Best Places In Washington To Live (25 items)

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  (#1) Vancouver

  • Washington, USA

  Population: 174,836

  Median income: $56,615

  Median home price: $265,700

  Pros: Vancouver began a major revitalization project in the late 1990s in an attempt to spruce up its downtown area and bring in investments and visitors. Among the major parts of the project are The Luxe, Library Square, and Prestige Plaza.

  Cons: While on a state level Vancouver's crime rate is actually lower than the Washington average, it still runs 26 percent higher than the natinoal average. Household income is also low for Washington, and property values are 19 percent lower than the rest of the state.
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  (#5) Bellevue

  • Washington, USA

  Population: 141,415

  Median income: $113,877

  Median home price: $756,800

  Pros: Bellevue is a medium-sized city beset on all sides by gorgeous wilderness and numerous hiking trails. The median income is well above the national average, and technology companies provided a wealth of job opportunities. Local K-12 schools consistently rank among the highest quality in the state.

  Cons: Cost of living is high, with housing and transportation expenses significantly higher than the national average. 
• 

  (#19) Renton

  • Washington, USA

  Population: 100,952

  Median income: $71,951

  Median home price: $373,400

  Pros: Renton has proven to be a city dedicated to providing opportunities, entertainment, and commerce to its citizens, undergoing a major revitalization since the turn of the century, particularly its downtown areas. One of the largest cities in Washington, home values and household income are high when compared to state averages.

  Cons: While successful in many aspects, the modern revitalization has had the side effect of driving up the cost of living, which is 21 percent higher on average than the rest of the state. In addition, the crime rate is more than 50 percent higher than the Washington average.
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  (#20) Richland

  • Washington, USA

  Population: 53,019

  Median income: $71,387

  Median home price: $233,587

  Pros: Nicknamed Atomic City as the former home of one of the Manhattan Project sites, Richland consistently ranks highly in many of the most desirable traits for cities, with high property values, low cost of living, high-quality education, and low crime rates when compared with the rest of the state and the nation.

  Cons: Get ready for climate whiplash. Located near the Washington-Oregon border in the center of the state, Richland experiences wild swings in temperature from season to season, with 100-degree heat in the summer and and snowy, single-digit temperatures in the winter.
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  (#11) Auburn

  • Washington, USA

  Population: 75,968

  Median income: $60,430

  Median home price: $279,800

  Pros: Auburn is an outdoorsman's dream with more than 20 miles of trails for hikers, cyclists, and runners, and a park system conisting of 28 dedicated park spaces scattered throughout the city. 

  Cons: All of that fun is when the sun is out, though, and locals report a less-than-vibrant night-life scene once the sun goes down. The crime rate is above average for Washington, and the average home value is low compared to the rest of the state.
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  (#9) Puyallup

  • Washington, USA

  Population: 39,105

  Median income: $67,447

  Median home price: $293,285

  Pros: Puyallup is a generally quiet small town located just outside Tacoma, but for three weeks a year in September, it becomes the hub of Washington as home to the Washington State Fair, one of the 10 largest fairs in the country. It regularly attracts more than 1 million visitors and is the city's premier attraction.

  Cons: While Puyallup ranks about average in many of the quality-of-life indexes, such as cost of living, educational quality, and employment, compared to the rest of the state, it's crime rate is 74 percent higher than the Washington average and more than double the national average.

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