What it's like to live in Edgewood
Edgewood is a small city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Edgewood deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High rent burden for renters
How Edgewood compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Edgewood
Based on Edgewood's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,068
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $81,360 a year
- 53% of Edgewood renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$142,400
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $71,200
- Homes cost 6.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 44% above US
$2,034/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,034 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $712,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $712,000 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Pierce County is 5.0%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Pierce County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 52% below US
160 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 1074/100k · Edgewood Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 21% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforceNear US average
34% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 34% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Wing Luke Museum Affiliated Area (25 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Edgewood's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($2,034/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (21% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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