City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Lake Stevens, WA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Lake Stevens - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

39,500
Residents
$118,290
Median income
$593,900
Median home
$2,501
Median rent (state)

Lake Stevens - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Lake Stevens places in the 86th percentile for household income and the 74th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

86th
percentile, household income
89th
percentile, home value
92nd
percentile, median rent
74th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Lake Stevens, WA

39,500 people live in Lake Stevens, Washington - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Lake Stevens brings in $118,290 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 3.3%. Home values in Lake Stevens run a median of $593,900, and the median resident age is 34.8 years. 33.6% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 67.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 128 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 59% from five years earlier. Lake Stevens reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 765.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Washington scores 107.0 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $2,501 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $188 across Washington, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 97.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

39,500 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Washington

Median Household Income

$118,290 /yr

Poverty 3.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

How does Lake Stevens compare to other US cities?

Where Lake Stevens sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 86% higher than other cities
Home value 89% pricier than other cities
Median rent 92% pricier than other cities
Safety 74% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Washington, Lake Stevens ranks #20 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Lake Stevens's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Washington, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

86thIncome percentile
74thSafety percentile

86th percentile nationally for median household income · 74th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Lake Stevens's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Lake Stevens's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 57 Avg. percentile National median
Lake Stevens's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Lake Stevens's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$593,900 11th percentile more affordable than 11% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Lake Stevens $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Lake Stevens, WA Lake Stevens, WA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Lake Stevens, WA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Lake Stevens, WA median $118,290/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Lake Stevens, WA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Lake Stevens, WA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 33.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 67.0%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
39,500
Median Income
$118,290
Median Home Value
$593,900
Median Age
34.8
Poverty Rate
3.3%
Labor force participation
67.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
33.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
765.9
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
117.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
648.8
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
13
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
38,000 residents39,000 residents40,000 residents41,000 residents42,000 residents43,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 39,092 residents 42,091 residents ▲ +7.7%
Lake Stevens's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
128
housing units authorized
Single-Family
118
detached homes
Multifamily
10
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 315
2020 351
2021 215
2022 304
2023 158
2024 128

Permit volume decreased 59% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
68.5%
Carpool
8.6%
Public Transit
1.9%
Walk
1.1%
Work from Home
19.4%

Based on 19,251 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Washington - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$48
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$188
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Washington state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Washington state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Lake Stevens sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,501/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
97.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Washington

Issaquah
39,472 people
Parkland
39,174 people
Lynnwood
40,953 people
Longview
37,836 people
Puyallup
42,642 people
Edmonds
42,783 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Lake Stevens's 39,500 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Severna Park, MD
39,499 people
Dover, DE
39,491 people
Lincoln Park, MI
39,511 people
Rosenberg, TX
39,467 people
Chelsea, MA
39,460 people
Lakewood Ranch, FL
39,434 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Lake Stevens's $118,290 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Orland Hills, IL
$118,281 median income
Palm Valley, FL
$118,280 median income
Saugatuck, MI
$118,309 median income
Fort Loudon, PA
$118,269 median income
Tuxedo, NY
$118,317 median income
Glencoe, OH
$118,317 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Lake Stevens, WA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Lake Stevens, WA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 75.5% 7.8% 11.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.2% White 75.5% Black or African American 2.3% Asian 7.8% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.5% Some other race 2.3% Two or more races 11.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Lake Stevens compares to nearby Washington cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Lake Stevens (this city) 39,500 $118,290
Issaquah 39,472 $153,786
Parkland 39,174 $71,829
Lynnwood 40,953 $76,439
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Lake Stevens, WA?

What is the population of Lake Stevens, WA? +

Lake Stevens, WA has a population of 39,500 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Lake Stevens, WA? +

In Lake Stevens, the typical household earns $118,290 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Lake Stevens? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Lake Stevens; the closest available measure is the Washington state average, a cost of living index of 107.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Washington vary by metro area.

Is Lake Stevens, WA safe? +

Lake Stevens has a total crime rate of 765.9 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Lake Stevens, WA? +

The median home value in Lake Stevens is $593,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.