Newcastle, WA vs Mercer Island, WA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricNewcastle, WAMercer Island, WA
Population12,98925,307
Median Household Income$160,278$219,069
Median Rent$2,369/mo$2,502/mo
Median Home Value$1,205,600$2,000,000+
Cost of Living (US = 100)111111
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income47.9%42.7%
Poverty Rate5.9%3.8%
Unemployment Rate4.5% (county)4.5%
Violent Crime Rate /100k7768
Property Crime Rate /100k1,586953
Median AQI4343
Good AQI Days /yr245245
Summer Highs75°F75°F
Winter Lows37°F37°F
Snowfall6 in/yr4 in/yr
Avg Commute27.9 min23.6 min
Hospitals——
Avg Hospital Rating——
Students per Teacher18.318.8
College Degree Rate68.5%81.4%
Foreign-Born %32.8%26.4%
Population Growth (2020–2025)+0.9%-1.3%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.