CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

47.47° N · 122.09° W · GEOID 5319857

East Renton Highlands

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

WashingtonEast Renton Highlands, WAEast Renton HighlandsEast Renton Highlands

The short answer

East Renton Highlands is home to 12,582 people. Median household income is $142,500 a year and median rent is $2,717 a month, 22.9% 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 $778,700, about 5.5x annual median household income.

What sets East Renton Highlands apart is how tight household budgets are. High pay has not made renting easy. Household income is higher than in 90% of places we track, yet 59% of renters still spend 30% or more of income on rent. Also notable: Rent run 29% above what its fundamentals predict in the same metro area.

31OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Below average

East Renton Highlands scores better than 31% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 129th of 190 in Washington.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%25
Economy 20%60
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%44
Education 10%71
Commute 10%15
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
$2,717
99% above the median place
Median household income
$142,500
77% above the median place
Median home value
$778,700
144% above the median place
Unemployment
6.0%
24% above 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 East Renton Highlands

  • Housing91% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 94% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
01

Moving to East Renton Highlands

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
6.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.5% from another state. County figure.
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
$108,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $2,717 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $3,281 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $778,700.
Getting to work
32 minutes each way on average; 25.1% work from home; 6.8% take transit.
If it is close but not quite
Elwood, NY matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving out6
$132,967
89% above the median place
Income of households moving in6
$102,956
46% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
-7.9
below the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureEast Renton HighlandsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure6.5%13% above
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

After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $106,800 a year, more than in 83% of the 1,884 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

East Renton Highlands22.9%
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
$108,680
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
22.9%
12% above the median place
Home price to income
5.5x
44% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
23%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$107,300
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in East Renton Highlands, $2,717 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 East Renton Highlands, but easier on the budget

Places that match East Renton Highlands 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
Elwood, NY8314.0% vs 22.9%$37,900Compare
Wilmington, MA8217.1% vs 22.9%$32,600Compare
Miller Place, NY829.6% vs 22.9%$19,100Compare
Lynnfield, MA8118.3% vs 22.9%$36,300Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in East Renton Highlands.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to East Renton Highlands? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Homeownership1
90.6%
36% above the median place
Median home value1
$778,700
144% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$3,281
75% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureEast Renton HighlandsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$2,71799% above
Rent to income122.9%12% above
Property tax rate10.9%2% above
Home price to income15.5x44% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure111.110% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,54958% above
Property tax paid (median)1$7,220121% above
Median home value1$778,700144% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure0.9%72% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure36.5%29% below
Homeownership190.6%36% above
Renters paying 30%+159.1%17% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$3,28175% above
Vacant homes1County figure6.2%12% below
Median year built119740% below
03

Work and pay

Poverty rate is 3.1%, 71% below the median place.

Poverty rate1
3.1%
71% below the median place
Median household income1
$142,500
77% above the median place
Works from home1
25.1%
102% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$61,360 +53%
Mean commute32 min +28%
Unemployment6.0% +24%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureEast Renton HighlandsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$142,50077% above
Income per person1$61,36053% above
Unemployment16.0%24% above
Average annual pay5County figure$136,848107% above
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure3.5%5% below
Jobs5County figure1,436,484above (median 150,665)
Poverty rate13.1%71% below
Mean commute132 min28% above
Works from home125.1%102% above
Commutes by transit1County figure6.8%above (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

3.1% of residents live below the poverty line, fewer than in 95% of the 2,223 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

No health insurance1
2.1%
67% below the median place
Homes with broadband1
95.9%
4% above the median place
Household size1
2.9
15% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Bachelor's or higher43.3% +35%
Median age40.7 +4%
High school or higher93.1% +1%
Born abroad8.4% −4%
All 8 people measures
MeasureEast Renton HighlandsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population112,5823458th largest
Median age140.74% above
Bachelor's or higher143.3%35% above
High school or higher193.1%1% above
Household size12.915% above
Born abroad18.4%4% below
No health insurance12.1%67% below
Homes with broadband195.9%4% above
05

Life in East Renton Highlands

OpenStreetMap shows 0 grocery stores per 10,000 residents, fewer than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the lowest of 190 Washington places 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 residents12.7 +25%
Playgrounds per 10k19.1 2.0×
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k7.2 −36%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails10 km 4.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi5.3 25.3×

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

  • Mount Rainier National Park 46 miles
  • Mount Rainier Wilderness 46 miles
  • Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve 59 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
45.8
49% 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
MeasureEast Renton HighlandsAmong 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 10k812.725% above
Playgrounds per 10k819.1103% above
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k87.236% below
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails89.7385% above
Transit stops per sq mi85.3above (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site945.849% above
National Park Service sites within 60 miles9350% above
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 East Renton Highlands. 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
MeasureEast Renton HighlandsAmong 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

East Renton Highlands in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 23% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 23% 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, East Renton Highlands does better than 26% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 48%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$2,717/mo (2024)$3,490/mo$2,860 to $4,250/mo+4.2%
Median household income$142,500 (2024)$182,000$153,500 to $215,000+4.1%
Median home value$778,700 (2024)$1,115,000$809,000 to $1,536,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 6.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.5 now.

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

09

Places like East Renton Highlands

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

PlaceRentIncome
Brentwood, CA$2,758$142,494Compare
Eastmont, WA$2,443$138,912Compare
Moorpark, CA$2,559$148,480Compare
Woods Creek, WA$2,603$156,950Compare
Woods Creek, WAMoorpark, CAEastmont, WABrentwood, CAEast Renton Highlands, WAEast Renton HighlandsBrentwoodMoorparkEast Renton HighlandsBrentwoodMoorpark

Places built like East Renton Highlands

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 East Renton Highlands performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
East Renton Highlands, WA22.9%6.1%/yrn/a
Lake Tapps, WA17.0%4.8%/yrn/aCompare
Lake Shore, WA20.6%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Artondale, WA18.1%6.2%/yrn/aCompare
Maltby, WA14.0%8.2%/yrn/aCompare
Clayton, CA23.9%2.2%/yr-2.1%Compare
Casa de Oro-Mount Helix, CA18.9%4.6%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is East Renton Highlands a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 31 out of 100, better than 31% of the places we rate and 129th of 190 in Washington. 91% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 94% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 80 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is East Renton Highlands expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 22.9% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $778,700.

What salary do you need to live in East Renton Highlands?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $108,680 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to East Renton Highlands?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Brentwood, CA, Eastmont, WA, Moorpark, CA and Woods Creek, WA.

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); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares East Renton Highlands with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for East Renton Highlands itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/east-renton-highlands-washington

Citytistics. “East Renton Highlands, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/east-renton-highlands-washington/

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