Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Union Hill-Novelty Hill grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns, and ranks 15th of 285 in Washington. Health is its strong suit (A+). The catch is cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.2 million, 10.6 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. It also trails on hazard risk — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than nearly two thirds of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. Vincent School is on the National Register of Historic Places. 72% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more locally, above both the Washington town median (30%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). This Washington town is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. Union Hill-Novelty Hill's schools outperform 98% of the state's.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · schools, state test and graduation results · National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Union Hill-Novelty Hill is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Union Hill-Novelty Hill beats most towns.
| Widest gap | Union Hill-Novelty Hill | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4% | 9% |
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Louisa May Alcott Elementary | K–5 | 615 |
| Rosa Parks Elementary | K–5 | 450 |
| Ella Baker Elementary School | K–5 | 401 |
Census counts: 11,265 in 2000, 22,683 in 2020. The archive holds 3 maps from 1950 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →18,805 counted in 2010 and 22,683 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Ordered by what stands out in Union Hill-Novelty Hill.
Union Hill-Novelty Hill has schools in the top 5% of Washington and has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Washington.
Its widest gap with Washington is tooth loss: 4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 9% statewide.
Among 285 Washington towns, just 10 have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Union Hill-Novelty Hill. A fifth of adults have obesity in the town. Of 31 CDC measures, Union Hill-Novelty Hill beats the Washington average on 27 and trails it on 2.
| Union Hill-Novelty Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 5.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 36% |
| What stands out | Union Hill-Novelty Hill | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4% | 9% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 2.4% | 5.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.5% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
That grade ranks #5 of the 285 Washington towns we grade for schools. It comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $1.22M.
The Lake Washington School District runs its public schools. Of its 11 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. 6 public schools serve Union Hill-Novelty Hill, with 2,135 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timberline Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 788 | – |
| Nikola Tesla STEM High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 605 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
The biggest park or preserve is Juel Community Park, at 40 acres. Trails total 43 miles in 17 parks and preserves. The trail density in Union Hill-Novelty Hill is 1.8 miles per square mile.
| Union Hill-Novelty Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.8 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.9% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Juel Community Park | 0.8 mi | 40 |
| 2. Kathryn Taylor Equestrian Park | 0.7 mi | 26 |
| 3. Bristol Park | 0.3 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here grew from 2,241 in 2013 to 4,413. 44.7% of workers work from home, against 19.8% across Washington.
The top destinations are Redmond (30%), Seattle (21%) and Bellevue (12%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Union Hill-Novelty Hill rose by 2,172, to 4,413. For Union Hill-Novelty Hill, the typical household income is $185,000. Only 2% of working residents stay in Union Hill-Novelty Hill for work; the rest commute out.
| Union Hill-Novelty Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 45% | 15% | 11% |
| Median household income | $185,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 5.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo weather station, 11 miles away, records that about 2 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 74.9°, cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.6°.
The typical July afternoon high for Union Hill-Novelty Hill comes to 75°F. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Union Hill-Novelty Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 75°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For Union Hill-Novelty Hill, the FEMA risk score is 65 of 100. 57% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 40%. This Washington town has had 5 paid flood insurance claims since 2006.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 10.6 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 96% of Washington towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
Union Hill-Novelty Hill’s typical rent is $2,556 a month. Among households in the town, 84% live in a home they own. A home in Union Hill-Novelty Hill typically sold within 22 days of listing.
| Union Hill-Novelty Hill | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,556 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 84% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Union Hill-Novelty Hill. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
16 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
16 mi Ancient siteSeattle Underground
13 mi Stadium & arenaHusky StadiumSpace Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · 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
Union Hill-Novelty Hill 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.
Where Union Hill-Novelty Hill’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
12 within 15 miles of the center of Union Hill-Novelty Hill
About 3 of every 100 Union Hill-Novelty Hill residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
Union Hill-Novelty Hill is a census-designated place (CDP) in King County, Washington, United States. The area was first recognized by the Census Bureau in the 2000 census. The population was 22,683 at the 2020 census. Based on per capita income, Union Hill-Novelty Hill ranks 5th of 522 areas in the state of Washington to be ranked.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Union Hill-Novelty Hill.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Hill-Novelty Hill | #15 | A | D | — | A+ | A+ |
| Redmond | #49 | B+ | D− | C | A+ | A+ |
| Ames Lake | — | — | C+ | — | A+ | A+ |
| Cottage Lake | #19 | A | D | — | A+ | A+ |
Ames Lake has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Union Hill-Novelty Hill, Ames Lake and Cottage Lake report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Union Hill-Novelty Hill with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Union Hill-Novelty Hill grades A overall, better than 89% of U.S. towns and #15 of 285 in Washington. It grades A+ for health and A+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,219,000, 107% above 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.
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