Lake Stevens, WA

Census place 5337900 · pop 40,253

D53/ 100
😐 Meh
C
in WA
📍 Washington ranks #24 of 50 states →
🏆 Inequality0.36 · top 5%
🚽 Commute35 min · bottom 4%
Taxes
0.83% 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

Commute time35 min4

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

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

Rent$2,952/mo8

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

$2,952/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Housing cost$635,60012

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

$635,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Natural disaster riskCounty-level98/10019

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

98/100 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.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.9%39

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

3.9% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Poor mental health17.2%49

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

17.2% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Bachelor's degree or higher35.0%60

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

35.0% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Property-tax burden0.83%61

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

0.83% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Adult obesity31.5%69

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

31.5% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Uninsured adults7.3%73

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

7.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult smoking10.5%76

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

10.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Air quality (AQI)County-level38 AQI77

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

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

Broadband access94.9%78

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

94.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Homeownership75.6%79

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

75.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

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.

Poverty rate5.2%86

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

5.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Median household income$122,33688

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

$122,336 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Physical inactivity16.1%93

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

16.1% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Population growth (5yr)+23.9%94

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

+23.9% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Income inequality0.3695

U.S. median 0.43 · better than most cities

Gini 0.36 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Not measured for Lake Stevens: 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 Lake Stevens, WA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Lake Stevens scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is income inequality and its weakest is commute time. 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 Lake Stevens, WA expensive to live in?
Lake Stevens has a median home value of $635,600 and typical rent around $2,952/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Lake Stevens, WA?
Its weakest measured area is commute time (35 min) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Lake Stevens, WA best at?
Its strongest measured area is income inequality (0.36) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities.

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