Mercer Island, WA
Census place 5345005 · pop 25,307
Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$2,000,001 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 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.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.51 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,559/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-1.4% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 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.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
24 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
67.0% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.50% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
3.8% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
11.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$219,069 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
19.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
81.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
11.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
4.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
Not measured for Mercer Island: 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 Mercer Island, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Mercer Island scores 59/100 — 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 adult smoking and its weakest is housing cost. 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 Mercer Island, WA expensive to live in?
- Mercer Island has a median home value of $2,000,001 and typical rent around $2,559/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Mercer Island, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($2,000,001) — 0/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Mercer Island, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult smoking (4.9%) — 100/100, 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.