Holi celebration in Redmond, Washington
Byron Dazey/Courtesy of Redmond

No. 12

Redmond, Washington

Every day, nearly 40,000 Microsoft employees report to the tech giant's headquarters in Redmond for work. Luckily for them, and also the employees from Nintendo, AT&T, Honeywell, and other companies with a heavy Redmond presence, they don't have to go far to find a great place to live.

The Seattle suburb on the northern shore of Lake Sammamish is especially attractive to families, with access to excellent schools (the graduation rate is 92% and students consistently perform well on standardized tests), an abundance of shops and restaurants, and a tranquil location that makes it easy to get away from it all. Residents can spend their days paddling through Lake Sammamish in a kayak, going rock climbing at the nearby Marymoor Park, or celebrating with their neighbors at Derby Days, a summer carnival that celebrated its 79th year in July. Redmond's close proximity to Seattle is a boon, too: Washington's largest city is only 15 miles away by car, or about 50 minutes using public transportation.

Redmond's large share of high-paying jobs — the city's median household income is slightly over $120,000 — does mean homes are on the pricier end of the spectrum. The average home sold for $763,628 in 2018. That said, if Redmond winds up being the place for you, you won't be alone if you decide to lease, since 43% of Redmond's housing stock is occupied by renters, according to Synergos Technologies, which provides demographic statistics for Money's analysis. — Shaina Mishkin

Redmond Washington population, median household income and home price, projected job growth, average commute, and clear days per year

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