Burlington, WA

Census place 5308920 · pop 10,003

D−45/ 100
🫤 Rough
D−
in WA
📍 Washington ranks #24 of 50 states →
🏆 Air26 AQI · top 4%
🚽 Own44.5% · bottom 8%
Taxes
0.81% property · US 0.99%9.51% sales · US 7.00%None income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).

The breakdown — worst first

Homeownership44.5%8

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

44.5% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Unemployment rateCounty-level5.1%11

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

5.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Uninsured adults13.7%22

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

13.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Housing cost$466,40022

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$466,400 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Bachelor's degree or higher20.5%24

U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities

20.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Rent$2,067/mo31

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$2,067/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Poverty rate14.5%36

U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities

14.5% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Poor mental health17.5%44

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

17.5% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Commute time25 min45

U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities

25 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level89/10049

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

89/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Median household income$80,47557

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$80,475 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Adult obesity33.6%58

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

33.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Property-tax burden0.81%62

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.81% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Adult smoking11.9%64

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

11.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Physical inactivity21.8%68

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

21.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Broadband access94.4%74

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Population growth (5yr)+12.6%86

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+12.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Income inequality0.3791

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.37 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Air quality (AQI)County-level26 AQI96

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

26 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Not measured for Burlington: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is Burlington, WA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Burlington scores 45/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is homeownership. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is Burlington, WA expensive to live in?
Burlington has a median home value of $466,400 and typical rent around $2,067/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Burlington, WA?
Its weakest measured area is homeownership (44.5%) — 8/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Burlington, WA best at?
Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (26 AQI) — 96/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.