Moving to
Mercer Island.

All Mercer Island data Compare Mercer Island

25,307people live here $219,069median household income▲ 171% above US $2,502median rent per month▲ 77% above US $2,000,000+median home valueCensus top category

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it's like to live in Mercer Island

Mercer Island is a small city in Washington with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mercer Island deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, and larger class sizes than the national average.

The good

Higher-than-average incomes
Low crime rates
Highly educated workforce

The not so good

Rent well above the national average
High home prices
High student-teacher ratio

How Mercer Island compares

Median household income

Mercer Island$219,069

Washington avg$98,141

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Mercer Island$2,502

Washington avg$1,760

US$1,413

Median home value

Mercer Island$2,000,000+

Washington avg$564,600

US$332,700

The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that.

What it takes to move to Mercer Island

Based on Mercer Island's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$5,004

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $100,080 a year
43% of Mercer Island renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$400,000

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $200,000
Homes cost 9.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▲ 77% above US

$2,502/mo median rent

Rent is expensive here, at $2,502 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 $2,000,000+. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.

Median home value $2,000,000+ · 43% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.5% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▼ 80% below US

68 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 953/100k · Mercer Island Police Department · 2025 data

Getting aroundNear US average

24 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 39% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

52%

Work from home

39%

Carpool

3.8%

Public transit

3.1%

Walk

1.6%

Other

1.3%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▲ 126% above US

81% bachelor's degree or higher

This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.

Schools

6 public schools inside the boundary

There are 6 public schools inside the boundary and 7 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (5 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Mercer Island'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 ($2,502/mo) equals 14% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (39% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.

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