Many residents aren’t shy about saying the Snoqualmie Valley is a great place to live.
Since the early 1990’s, with the addition of new home developments across the Valley, the area has been drawing young families looking for homes with close proximity to Seattle and Bellevue, closer to nature – and with a slightly smaller price tag than other nearby Eastside suburbs.
The Snoqualmie Valley is home to multitudes of young families. In fact, 2010 census data showed that about 35% of Snoqualmie’s population was under the age of 18. Kids are everywhere!
Now it seems more people are learning about the Snoqualmie Valley.
The City of Snoqualmie was recently named the #1 City in Washington for Young Families by NerdWallet.com, a self-professed “nerdy” money management and education website that calls itself “the nerdy friend you can count on and trust, no matter your money question.”
In November, the website looked at the top cities across the country where young families have put down roots, have decided to call home.
Criteria Used in NerdWallet Ranking:
- Public Schools Excellence: data from Great Schools, including test scores and rankings
- Home affordability: U.S. Census data, including median home values and homeownership costs
- Growth and prosperity: U.S. Census data, including median household income in 2012 and income growth since 1999
In Washington, NerdWallet said King County was home to 8 of its top 10 cities that young families call home. Other local Eastside cities making the top 10 included Issaquah, Redmond and Sammamish. To the south, Maple Valley and Covington made the list.
Snoqualmie may have had the edge with the criteria used due to its dramatic growth that began in 1998 when the master-planned community of Snoqualmie Ridge took the once small city from 1,600 residents to over 12,000 in 2014. That fast population growth resulted in Snoqualmie’s median household income skyrocketing 131% between 1999 and 2012, according to NerdWallet.com.
Cities had to have 10,000 residents to be included in the ranking. Read the full NerdWallet story HERE.
