Kirkland vs Mercer Island
Kirkland, Washington versus Mercer Island, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Kirkland and Mercer Island score about the same overall (55 vs 58 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kirkland | Mercer Island |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $136k | $191k |
| Cost of Living | $73k | $73k |
| Home Value | $938k | $1.7M |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $4k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.73% | 0.59% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.17% | 8.33% |
| Unemployment | 4.7% | 2.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 42°F | 43°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 37.8 in | 38.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.8 in | 3.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 115 days | 119 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 62.9 | 68.4 |
| Air Quality | 34 AQI | 37 AQI |
| School Quality | 74.8 | 80.7 |
| Violent Crime | 530/100k | 243/100k |
| Property Crime | 2374/100k | 1692/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 92,015 | 25,464 |
| Median Age | 38.0 | 45.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.48 | 0.50 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.02 | 0.89 |
| Political Leaning | D+54 | D+54 |
| White (%) | 66.7% | 65.3% |
| Black (%) | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.5% | 3.2% |
| Asian (%) | 17.1% | 22.0% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 7.1% | 8.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 25 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 12.8/20 | 12.0/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 9 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 95.4% | 96.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 97.27 | 472.82 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | 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 Kirkland or Mercer Island more affordable?
- Mercer Island has the lower cost of living: its index is $73k, compared with Kirkland's $73k and Mercer Island's $73k. Median rent is $2k in Kirkland versus $2k in Mercer Island.
- Is Kirkland or Mercer Island safer?
- Mercer Island has the lower violent crime rate. Kirkland reports 530/100k and Mercer Island reports 243/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kirkland or Mercer Island?
- The median home value is $938k in Kirkland and $1.7M in Mercer Island, so homes are more affordable in Kirkland.