Lakeland North in pictures
Census counts: 11,648 in 1980, 13,663 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 5 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Where it falls short is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $557K, 4.8 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Overall, Lakeland North earns a C, better than 28% of U.S. towns. That places it 199th of 285 in Washington. Its strongest is health (A−): CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 82% of the country. Add walkability to its strengths (B+): it is more walkable than nearly three quarters of U.S. towns. The town’s midpoint rent is $2,340 a month, above both the Washington town median ($1,737 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Lakeland North is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Lakeland North beats most towns.
Census counts: 11,648 in 1980, 13,663 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 5 maps from 1949 on.
Explore the history →Where Lakeland North’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2024
Ordered by what stands out in Lakeland North.
Lakeland North has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Seattle and beyond.
The share of adults in Lakeland North who smoke cigarettes is 11%. Across all 31 CDC measures, Lakeland North beats Washington on 3 and trails on 4. Two figures for adults in the town: 70% had a checkup this year, 32% sleep under 7 hours.
| Lakeland North | Typical Washington town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 33% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 25% |
| What stands out | Lakeland North | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with obesity | 26.1% | 30.6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.9% | 7.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 11.8% | 10.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The largest public high school is Thomas Jefferson High School, with 1,810 students. Two of the 6 schools are below, and why each made the list. Its public schools are run by the Federal Way School District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilo Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 669 | – |
| Thomas Jefferson High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,810 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Lakeland North has 678 jobs for its 6,325 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 497 in 2014 to 678.
For working residents in Lakeland North, the share who work locally is 0.9%. This Washington town had 678 jobs in 2024, up 181 from 2014. The typical household income here locally is $105,000. The top destinations are Seattle (20%), Kent (9%) and Auburn (7%).
| Lakeland North | Typical Washington town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $105,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 4.9% | 7.9% |
Census LEHD 2024 · ACS
The FEMA risk score in Lakeland North is 73 of 100. All told, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid locally since 1996. 74% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 24%.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Across 3 parks and preserves run 1.8 miles of trail. 37 acres of Lakeland North lie in its parks and preserves. For Lakeland North, the concentration of trails is 0.6 miles per square mile.
| Lakeland North | Typical Washington town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.6 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Camelot Park | 0.6 mi | 18 |
| 2. Bingaman Pond Natural Area | 0.4 mi | 16 |
| 3. Lake Dollof Access Area | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 77°, cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36°.
About 6 inches of snow falls in a winter. Precipitation in Lakeland North totals about 40 inches in a normal year.
| Lakeland North | Typical Washington town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A home in Lakeland North typically sold within 16 days of listing. Bidding over the asking price: just over a quarter of homes sold locally.
| Lakeland North | Typical Washington town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,340 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 70% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lakeland North. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw18 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
5 mi Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park
18 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
19 mi Ancient siteSeattle UndergroundSpace 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 · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lakeland North is unincorporated, so King County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
11 within 15 miles of the center of Lakeland North
About 4 of every 100 Lakeland North residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
Lakeland North is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 13,663 at the 2020 census. Part of the community was annexed into neighboring Auburn in 2008.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Lakeland North.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeland North | #199 | C | D | — | C− | A− |
| Federal Way | #242 | C− | C− | D | C− | A− |
| Auburn | #214 | C− | D | D | B− | A− |
Lakeland North reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Lakeland North with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lakeland North grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #199 of 285 in Washington. It grades A− for health and C− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $557,000, 5% below the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.