What it's like to live in Tukwila
Tukwila is a small city in Washington with 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. Tukwila deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, crime rates above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Crime above national average
- High rent burden for renters
How Tukwila compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tukwila
Based on Tukwila's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,796
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $75,920 a year
- 51% of Tukwila renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$97,800
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $48,900
- Homes cost 6.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 34% above US
$1,898/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,898 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $489,000. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $489,000 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.5% county unemployment
Unemployment in King County is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
King County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 64% above US
541 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 9810/100k · Tukwila Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.6 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; 7% take public transit; 13% 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 38°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 30% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
9 public schools inside the boundary
There are 9 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, 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 (9 miles away). There are 7 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Nothing in Tukwila's numbers stands out as a clear strength, and the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,898/mo) equals 29% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Tukwila
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