What it's like to live in Sammamish
Sammamish is a smaller 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. Sammamish 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
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- High student-teacher ratio
- Very rainy — 63" of rain per year
How Sammamish compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Sammamish
Based on Sammamish's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$5,714
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $114,280 a year
- 43% of Sammamish renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$281,460
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $140,730
- Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 102% above US
$2,857/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,857 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 $1,407,300. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $1,407,300 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 94% below US
21 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 356/100k · Sammamish Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 6 in 10 workers drive to work; 39% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 74°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 114% above US
77% 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
17 public schools inside the boundary
There are 17 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Wing Luke Museum Affiliated Area (13 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Sammamish'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 ($2,857/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.
Other places near Sammamish
All Washington guides →Moving to Bellevue →
5 mi away · pop. 151,847
Rent $2,572/mo · Income $165,576
Compare with Sammamish →Moving to Union Hill-Novelty Hill →
5 mi away · pop. 23,047
Rent $2,556/mo · Income $185,369
Compare with Sammamish →Not sure Sammamish is the one?
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