Photo:Angel MercedLake Goodwin is part of the Seattle area. This page covers the whole metro.
Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.
Around Seattle
One resident noted their local Wallingford elementary offers language immersion and mentioned lessons at Snoqualmie Pass as a social opportunity for kids.
“Lots of lessons at Snoqualmie pass, automatic social opportunities for the kids”
One resident says the fastest way to make friends was going to cafes, open mics, restaurants, and bars and befriending local staff
“going to cafes, open mics, restaurants, bars, and befriending the local staff”
From 6 resident comments about meeting people and the social scene.
One resident suggests joining hobby groups, meetups, and clubs like run clubs or scrabble clubs to meet people
“Go out to hobby/activity groups/meetups. Try run clubs. There are fun clubs, orgs, classes, etc for anyone. join a scrabble club or a...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident finds it fairly easy to meet people in Seattle through work, dating, volunteering, and hobby groups
“Work, dating, volunteering, hobby groups, etc. I find it fairly easy to meet people in Seattle,...”
Read the full commentAbout 4 months agoOne resident moved to Seattle and did not know anyone after relocating for a career change
“So I moved here a little over 3 years ago from the Kennewick area for a career change, as I think the majority of us have. I didn’t know anyone here...”
Read the full commentAbout 2 years agoOne resident describes struggling to meet people and only briefly dating on Hinge since moving to Seattle a year ago
“I’ve lived in Seattle for about a year and have only briefly dated using hinge since I don’t know many people. I am 28f probably averagely attractive.”
Read the full commentAbout 9 months agoOne commenter argued Seattle's nightlife is boring compared to major cities, though cool bars exist in neighborhoods like Ballard and Capitol Hill.
“Compared to the major cities, it's boring, but there are cool bars in a bunch of neighborhoods. You can go out in Ballard, Capitol Hill,...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident says the fastest way to make friends was going to cafes, open mics, restaurants, and bars and befriending local staff
“what's helped me make friends the fastest is going to cafes, open mics, restaurants, bars, and befriending the local staff. ask people to join...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoAbout 13,557 business locations in the Seattle area, employing about 283,099 people. That's about the usual U.S. share.
U.S. Census County Business Patterns, 2023. Counts business locations with paid employees, not job openings.
"I've been searching for any kind of work in Seattle for over a year now."
A newcomer figured they would find work easily after relocating for their partner's job, but it proved harder than expected.
“My boyfriend and I moved to Seattle last October for his job, and figured I’d just find a job when we got here. I’ve been using indeed as my main source...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoPick a month. A dot means residents talked about that time of year.
No resident has talked about October yet.
“I've been searching for any kind of work in Seattle for over a year now.”
A newcomer figured they would find work easily after relocating for their partner's job, but it proved harder than expected.
“My boyfriend and I moved to Seattle last October for his job, and figured I’d just find a job when we got here. I’ve been using indeed as my main source...”
Read the full commentAbout a year agoOne commenter argued Seattle's nightlife is boring compared to major cities, though cool bars exist in neighborhoods like Ballard and Capitol Hill.
“Compared to the major cities, it's boring, but there are cool bars in a bunch of neighborhoods. You can go out in Ballard, Capitol Hill,...”
Read the full commentAbout 3 years ago. Things may have changed since.One resident noted their local Wallingford elementary offers language immersion and mentioned lessons at Snoqualmie Pass as a social opportunity for kids.
“Wallingford local elementary has language immersion at k-5 and. Lots of lessons at Snoqualmie pass, automatic social opportunities for the kids...”
Read the full commentAbout 10 months ago“Compared to the major cities, it's boring”
What's nearby
Within 5 miles of the center of the Seattle area.
Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Biking and trails
Within 5 miles of the center of the Seattle area.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.
What rent costs
Of about 612,361 rented homes in the Seattle area, 54% rent for under $2,000 a month and 88% for under $3,000.
Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.
What moving costs
Average cost: $1,946
From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.
The middle rented home in the Seattle area rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. First month plus a one-month deposit comes to about $3,000 to $3,998 before you get the keys.
Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.
Your first weeks in Washington
- Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
- Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Washington DMV.
- Register to vote at your new address: Washington voter registration.
- Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
- Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.
Public schools
18 public school districts in this county, with about 260,829 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.
NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.
Childcare and colleges
Washington keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.
| Age | Daycare center | Home daycare |
|---|---|---|
| Infant (under 2) | $478/week about $24,900 a year | $347/week about $18,000 a year |
| Toddler (2) | $390/week about $20,300 a year | |
| Preschool (3 to 4) | $390/week about $20,300 a year | $310/week about $16,100 a year |
| School-age | $289/week about $15,000 a year |
For an infant at a center: $478/week here, $370 across WA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 17% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.
31 colleges in the county and the wider metro around Seattle. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.
Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less, and community colleges often charge even less to people who live in their district. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.
IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.