CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

47.75° N · 122.08° W · GEOID 5314940

Cottage Lake

King County, Washington · part of the Seattle, WA metro

WashingtonCottage Lake, WACottage LakeCottage Lake

The short answer

Cottage Lake is home to 22,518 people. Median household income is $213,106 a year and median rent is $2,740 a month, 15.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $1,230,700, about 5.8x annual median household income.

What sets Cottage Lake apart is how far household money goes. After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $175,100 a year, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 172 Washington places we track. Also notable: Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 100 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

85OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Strong

Cottage Lake scores better than 85% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 16th of 190 in Washington.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%52
Economy 20%83
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%49
Education 10%94
Commute 10%44
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$2,740
101% above the median place
Median household income
$213,106
165% above the median place
Median home value
$1,230,700
285% above the median place
Unemployment
4.1%
16% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Cottage Lake

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs about $1,004 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 87% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to Cottage Lake

King County loses about 7.9 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in94,148
Moved out109,084
Net−14,936

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Snohomish County, WA11,02617,266−6,240
Pierce County, WA9,50516,244−6,739
Maricopa County, AZ1,8172,460−643
Kitsap County, WA1,2902,186−896
San Diego County, CA1,5911,592−1

Within Washington, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WashingtonOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$103K
Leavers$133K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of King County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
1.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.5% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into King County report $103,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $133,000, so leavers earn more than newcomers.
Income you would need
$109,600 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,740 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,744 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,230,700.
Getting to work
26 minutes each way on average; 33.8% work from home; 6.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Hinsdale, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved here in the past year1
1.1%
80% below the median place
Income of households moving out6
$132,967
89% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$102,956
46% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureCottage LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year11.1%80% below
Moved from another state1County figure3.5%75% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure-7.9below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$102,95646% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$132,96789% above
02

What it costs to live here

The median household earns $213,106 a year, more than in 97% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Cottage Lake15.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$109,600
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
15.4%
25% below the median place
Home price to income
5.8x
52% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
15%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$175,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Cottage Lake, $2,740 a month, and local prices for everything else (102.9 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Cottage Lake, but easier on the budget

Places that match Cottage Lake on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Hinsdale, IL839.2% vs 15.4%$47,600Compare
Lake Forest, IL799.3% vs 15.4%$34,200Compare
Poolesville, MD7810.7% vs 15.4%$8,400Compare
Rye Brook, NY7312.6% vs 15.4%$30,100Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Cottage Lake.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Cottage Lake? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$1,230,700
285% above the median place
Homeownership1
91.2%
37% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,744
100% above the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureCottage LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,740101% above
Rent to income115.4%25% below
Home price to income15.8x52% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure111.110% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,54958% above
Property tax paid (median)1$10,001206% above
Median home value1$1,230,700285% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure0.9%72% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure36.5%29% below
Homeownership191.2%37% above
Renters paying 30%+153.0%5% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,744100% above
Vacant homes13.1%57% below
Median year built119840% above
03

Work and pay

34% of workers skip the commute by working from home, which keeps total commuting time lower than in 80% of places.

Median household income1
$213,106
165% above the median place
Works from home1
33.8%
171% above the median place
Income per person1
$93,328
133% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate3.2% −70%
Unemployment4.1% −16%
Mean commute26 min +4%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureCottage LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$213,106165% above
Income per person1$93,328133% above
Unemployment14.1%16% below
Average annual pay5County figure$136,848107% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.5%5% below
Jobs5County figure1,436,484above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate13.2%70% below
Mean commute126 min4% above
Works from home133.8%171% above
Commutes by transit1County figure6.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Homes with broadband is 98.8%, 7% above the median place.

Homes with broadband1
98.8%
7% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
67.8%
112% above the median place
No health insurance1
2.5%
61% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

High school or higher96.8% +5%
Median age44.2 +13%
Household size2.9 +15%
Born abroad17.1% +94%
All 8 people measures
MeasureCottage LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population122,5182072nd largest
Median age144.213% above
Bachelor's or higher167.8%112% above
High school or higher196.8%5% above
Household size12.915% above
Born abroad117.1%94% above
No health insurance12.5%61% below
Homes with broadband198.8%7% above
05

Life in Cottage Lake

About 20 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 94% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

324 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 9 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents10.7 +5%
Playgrounds per 10k11.6 +23%
Grocery stores per 10k0.9 −58%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k1.3 −88%
Libraries per 10k0.9 +2%
Named paths and bike trails20 km 10.1×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.6 7.8×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve 43 miles
  • Mount Rainier Wilderness 64 miles
  • Mount Rainier National Park 64 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars27.9 +34%
Shops25.8 −15%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.9 +44%
Doctors' offices and clinics25.0 +24%
Child care centers4.3 +87%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site9
43.1
40% above the median place
Public schools11
533
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students11
277,999
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureCottage LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure533above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure277,999above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure18.419% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure27.934% above
Shops per 10k7County figure25.815% below
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure5.944% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure25.024% above
Child care centers per 10k7County figure4.387% above
Parks per 10k810.75% above
Playgrounds per 10k811.623% above
Grocery stores per 10k80.958% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k81.388% below
Libraries per 10k80.92% above
Named paths and bike trails820.1above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi81.6above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site943.140% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles9150% below
National Register listings10County figure324above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 72°F, 17% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Cottage Lake. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high12
72°F
17% below the median place
Annual precipitation12
75.4 in
72% above the median place
Natural hazard risk13
99.7
8% above the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureCottage LakeAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high12County figure72°F17% below
January average low12County figure32°F26% above
Average temperature12County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation12County figure75.4 in72% above
Natural hazard risk13County figure99.78% above
Tornado risk13County figure73.210% below
Wildfire risk13County figure79.530% above
Heat wave risk13County figure98.29% above
Median air quality index14County figure430% above
Good air days14County figure67.1%2% below
08

Cottage Lake in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 16% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 15% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Cottage Lake does better than 51% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 64%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,740/mo (2024)$3,520/mo$2,890 to $4,290/mo+4.3%
Median household income$213,106 (2024)$271,000$229,000 to $321,000+4.1%
Median home value$1,230,700 (2024)$1,782,000$1,294,000 to $2,455,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 6.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.8 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Cottage Lake

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Union Hill-Novelty Hill, WA$2,556$185,369Compare
Granite Bay, CA$2,740$184,606Compare
Needham, MA$2,409$214,308Compare
Cos Cob, CT$3,067$190,481Compare
Cos Cob, CTNeedham, MAGranite Bay, CAUnion Hill-Novelty Hill, WACottage Lake, WACottage LakeGranite BayNeedhamCos CobCottage LakeGranite BayNeedhamCos Cob

Places built like Cottage Lake

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Cottage Lake performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Cottage Lake, WA15.4%5.7%/yrn/a
Coto de Caza, CA17.2%4.1%/yrn/aCompare
Agoura Hills, CA22.5%6.8%/yr-5.2%Compare
Danville, CA18.1%7.6%/yr-0.6%Compare
West Linn, OR17.3%5.7%/yr-2.9%Compare
Alamo, CA16.8%0.9%/yrn/aCompare
Granite Bay, CA17.8%5.2%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Cottage Lake a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 85 out of 100, better than 85% of the places we rate and 16th of 190 in Washington. Owning with a mortgage costs about $1,004 a month more than the median rent, a wider gap than in 87% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 93 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Cottage Lake expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 15.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $1,230,700.

What salary do you need to live in Cottage Lake?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $109,600 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Cottage Lake?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Union Hill-Novelty Hill, WA, Granite Bay, CA, Needham, MA and Cos Cob, CT.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  13. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  14. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Cottage Lake with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Cottage Lake itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/cottage-lake-washington

Citytistics. “Cottage Lake, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/cottage-lake-washington/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.