Burlington, WA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Washington·Burlington

Skagit County · Mount Vernon-Anacortes · population 10,945

Growing fastSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
75
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Burlington stands

At or near all-time high. population growing 4.6% per year. rents up 9.7% in the last year.

Median home $543,329
1-year +1.3%
5-yr CAGR +4.7%
vs 5-yr peak -0.4%
Population +4.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-02$543k$227k$341k$454k$567k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
75/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,111/mo$1,759$1,998$2,23720242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10410610020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.5
Lean rent

At a 21.5 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Burlington. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
56 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
63 · w22%
Distance from peak
88 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
85 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Burlington has held up across the cycle: home values at $543,329 with +4.7% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Burlington's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Burlington

Burlington is a city in Skagit County, Washington, with an estimated population of 10,945. It anchors the Mount Vernon-Anacortes metro area. The population has grown 4.6% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Burlington is $543,329 as of 2026-04, up 1.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.7% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Burlington average $2,111 per month, up 9.7% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 75 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

People are voting with their feet: population growing 4.6% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
Held the highs: currently -0.4% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
Hot rental market: rents up 9.7% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

Bear case

Rental squeeze: rents up 9.7% YoY — tenants face tough renewals. Affordability deteriorating fast.
Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Skagit County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Skagit County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Burlington

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
45° / 35°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
77° / 56°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
152
~42% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
10″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Burlington listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Mount Vernon-Anacortes area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$90,400
Washington state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Amazon/MS)Aerospace (Boeing)Agriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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