What it's like to live in Renton
Renton is a mid-size city in Washington with household incomes running above 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. Renton deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
How Renton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Renton
Based on Renton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,996
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $79,920 a year
- 53% of Renton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$134,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $67,260
- Homes cost 6.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 41% above US
$1,998/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,998 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 $672,600. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $672,600 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 22% below US
258 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2459/100k · Renton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 14% above US
30 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.7 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 22% 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.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
40% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 40% 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
29 public schools inside the boundary
There are 29 public schools inside the boundary and 8 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 Wing Luke Museum Affiliated Area (10 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Renton's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,998/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit remote workers (22% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Renton
All Washington guides →Moving to Bryn Mawr-Skyway →
3 mi away · pop. 17,638
Rent $1,760/mo · Income $90,969
Compare with Renton →Moving to Fairwood CDP (King County) →
3 mi away · pop. 17,856
Rent $2,233/mo · Income $122,134
Compare with Renton →Not sure Renton is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.