Lake Stevens, WA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Washington·Lake Stevens

Snohomish County · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue · population 41,350

Growing fast
Lake Stevens, WA
Image: Wikipedia · Lake Stevens, Washington
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Lake Stevens stands

Population growing 3.8% per year.

Median home $713,644
1-year -2.1%
5-yr CAGR +4.9%
vs 5-yr peak -3.0%
Population +3.8%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-02$714k$315k$465k$615k$765k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
22/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
86/100
Excellent for remote work
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
$2,825/mo$2,054$2,564$3,074202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent127129100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 21.1
Lean rent

At a 21.1 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Lake Stevens. 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
39 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
64 · w22%
Distance from peak
72 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
59 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
80 · w10%
Long thesis

Lake Stevens has held up across the cycle: home values at $713,644 with +4.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Lake Stevens'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 Lake Stevens

Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, with an estimated population of 41,350. It anchors the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area. The population has grown 3.8% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Lake Stevens is $713,644 as of 2026-04, down 2.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.9% annual growth (-3.0% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Lake Stevens average $2,825 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.1%). The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 3.8% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
●Held the highs: currently -3.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

●Expensive AND not growing: median home $713,644 with only -2.1% YoY. You’re paying premium pricing for a flat trend.
●Cooling: -2.1% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.

About Lake Stevens (Wikipedia)

Lake Stevens is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, that is named for the lake it surrounds. It is located 6 miles (9.7 km) east of Everett and borders the cities of Marysville to the northwest and Snohomish to the south. The city's population was 35,630 at the 2020 census.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

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 Snohomish County right now.

NWS active alerts (WA)Washington Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

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

Cities like Lake Stevens

Mountlake Terrace, WA63 · RisingDuvall, WA62 · RisingNorth Bend, WA69 · RisingLynnwood, WA61 · Stable

Run the numbers for Lake Stevens

ToolCan I afford Lake Stevens?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Lake Stevens rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Lake Stevens to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolLake Stevens cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

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.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Lake Stevens listings on the major real-estate sites.

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

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

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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