Mountlake Terrace, WA

All states·Washington·Mountlake Terrace

Snohomish County · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue · population 25,198

Growing fast
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
63
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Mountlake Terrace stands

Population growing 4.3% per year.

Median home $698,756
1-year -2.3%
5-yr CAGR +4.4%
vs 5-yr peak -3.3%
Population +4.3%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-02$699k$305k$454k$603k$752k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
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
82/100
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
$2,099/mo$1,562$1,902$2,242202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent124126100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 27.7
Rent

At a 27.7 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Mountlake Terrace for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
39 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
61 · w22%
Distance from peak
70 · w18%
Population growth
90 · w16%
Rent YoY
48 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
80 · w10%
Long thesis

Mountlake Terrace has held up across the cycle: home values at $698,756 with +4.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Mountlake Terrace'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 Mountlake Terrace

Mountlake Terrace is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, with an estimated population of 25,198. It anchors the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area. The population has grown 4.3% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Mountlake Terrace is $698,756 as of 2026-04, down 2.3% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.4% annual growth (-3.3% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Mountlake Terrace average $2,099 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.4%). The composite momentum score is 63 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●People are voting with their feet: population growing 4.3% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
○The data is the data: Mountlake Terrace has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Cooling: -2.3% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
○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 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 Mountlake Terrace

Lake Stevens, WA65 · RisingDuvall, WA62 · RisingNorth Bend, WA69 · RisingOcean Shores, WA61 · Stable

Run the numbers for Mountlake Terrace

ToolCan I afford Mountlake Terrace?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Mountlake Terrace rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Mountlake Terrace to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolMountlake Terrace 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 Mountlake Terrace 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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