Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Issaquah grades B+ overall, 56th of 285 graded towns in Washington. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates. Its schools outperform 98% of the state's and the median household earns $155K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $1.1 million for a typical one and 9.5 times the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Issaquah, above both Washington’s towns (30%) and U.S. towns (29%). Issaquah is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. Only 3 of Washington’s 397 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Issaquah beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Issaquah | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.8% | 9% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Issaquah Valley Elementary | K–5 | 646 |
| Clark Elementary | K–5 | 586 |
| Grand Ridge Elementary | K–5 | 558 |
30,434 counted in 2010 and 40,051 in 2020; an estimated 39,423 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Issaquah is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 700 in 1900, 40,051 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 4 maps from 1950 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Issaquah. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw13 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw15 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
13 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
13 mi Ancient siteSeattle Underground
13 mi Stadium & arenaHusky StadiumSpace Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Husky Stadium: Atomic Taco, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Issaquah, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Issaquah.
Issaquah has schools in the top 5% of Washington, draws workers from Seattle and beyond and fares better on crime within Washington than nationally.
At 9.5 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income, the typical home (about $1.09M) costs more against local pay than in 95% of Washington towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. The typical value, about $1.09M, is 9% below its June 2022 peak.
The median rent in Issaquah is $2,590 a month. The typical Issaquah home is worth about $1,090,000, down 2.9% in a year, 86% above the Washington typical home. 57% of Issaquah households own their home.
| Issaquah | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,590 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 71% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 39% | 51% | 48% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its A+ ranks #3 of the 285 Washington towns we grade for schools. Its A+ for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.09M.
Its public schools are run by the Issaquah School District. Two of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Issaquah Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 808 | – |
| Issaquah High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,419 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #4 of 285 in Washington.
36 miles of trail in 46 parks and preserves. Issaquah’s trail density is 2.7 miles per square mile. The biggest place to walk is Lake Sammamish State Park, 535 acres with 4.3 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tradition Plateau Natural Resources Conservation Area | 6.3 mi | 424 |
| 2. Lake Sammamish State Park | 4.3 mi | 535 |
| 3. Park Pointe | 2.3 mi | 83 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its widest gap with Washington is tooth loss: 4.8% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9% statewide.
20% of adults have obesity in Issaquah. Issaquah beats the Washington average on 25 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 6.4% of adults have diabetes in Issaquah.
| Issaquah | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 8.7% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 25% |
| What stands out | Issaquah | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.8% | 9% |
| Fewer smokers | 5.7% | 10.1% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 68.4% | 70.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
30,106 jobs are based in Issaquah, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 21,561 in 2013 to 30,106.
Among 285 Washington towns, just 8 have a higher share of workers working from home than Issaquah. Since 2013, Issaquah has added 8,545 jobs, to 30,106 in 2023. Most working residents leave Issaquah for work: only 11% work in town.
| Issaquah | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 39% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $155,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 4.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
145 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 20 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 145 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Issaquah.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 33.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 62% of Washington’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 1,511 to 852 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 76.5°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.9°.
Issaquah has mild winters and pleasant summers. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Issaquah | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
15 within 15 miles of the center of Issaquah
About 4 of every 100 Issaquah residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
25.8% of the town is conserved land, across 46 parks and preserves.
4 places in Issaquah on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Issaquah.
City in Washington, United States
Issaquah ( ISS-ə-kwah) is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 40,051 at the 2020 census. Located in a valley and bisected by Interstate 90, the city is bordered by the Sammamish Plateau to the north and the "Issaquah Alps" to the south. It is home to the headquarters of the multinational retail company Costco Wholesale Corporation. Issaquah is included in the Seattle metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Issaquah.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Issaquah grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #56 of 285 in Washington. It grades A+ for health, C− for safety and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
10 notable people were born here, including David Call and SYML.
