Bellevue vs Kirkland
Bellevue, Washington versus Kirkland, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bellevue and Kirkland score about the same overall (54 vs 55 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bellevue | Kirkland |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $150k | $136k |
| Cost of Living | $73k | $73k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $938k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.73% | 0.73% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.68% | 8.17% |
| Unemployment | 4.0% | 4.7% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 43°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.9 in | 37.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.8 in | 3.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 118 days | 115 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 88.2 | 62.9 |
| Air Quality | 27 AQI | 34 AQI |
| School Quality | 93.8 | 74.8 |
| Violent Crime | 666/100k | 530/100k |
| Property Crime | 3790/100k | 2374/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 150,606 | 92,015 |
| Median Age | 38.3 | 38.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.61 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 1.02 |
| Political Leaning | D+54 | D+54 |
| White (%) | 44.1% | 66.7% |
| Black (%) | 2.6% | 1.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.2% | 7.5% |
| Asian (%) | 39.4% | 17.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.8% | 7.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 25 min |
| Walkability | 14.1/20 | 12.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 17 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.1% | 95.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 51.86 | 97.27 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bellevue or Kirkland more affordable?
- Kirkland has the lower cost of living: its index is $73k, compared with Bellevue's $73k and Kirkland's $73k. Median rent is $2k in Bellevue versus $2k in Kirkland.
- Is Bellevue or Kirkland safer?
- Kirkland has the lower violent crime rate. Bellevue reports 666/100k and Kirkland reports 530/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bellevue or Kirkland?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Bellevue and $938k in Kirkland, so homes are more affordable in Kirkland.