Redmond

Tucked between Lake Sammamish and the Cascade foothills, Redmond, Washington has quietly evolved from a small logging town into one of the most desirable cities in the Pacific Northwest. Known globally as the home of Microsoft and increasingly as a tech hub in its own right, Redmond offers a compelling blend of professional opportunity, outdoor access, and genuine community character. If you’re weighing a move here, here’s what you actually need to know before signing a lease or making an offer.

A City That Fits Multiple Lifestyles

With around 75,700 residents and a median age of just 35, Redmond skews young and active, but it genuinely caters to a wide range of people. Downtown Redmond has seen significant investment over the past decade, with a walkable core featuring restaurants, breweries, and the Redmond Town Center shopping district. Neighborhoods like Education Hill offer quiet, tree-lined streets with strong schools, making it popular with families. Overlake, closer to the Microsoft campus, draws young professionals who want to minimize their commute. Meanwhile, the Willows Road corridor has become a hub for cyclists and outdoor enthusiasts who want quick access to the Sammamish River Trail. The city feels intentionally designed rather than accidentally grown, which makes settling in feel surprisingly smooth.

Cost of Living and Housing

There’s no sugarcoating it: Redmond is expensive. The median home price sits around $1.09 million, which puts homeownership out of reach for many newcomers without significant savings or equity from a previous sale. Competition for homes remains fierce, particularly for single-family properties near top-rated schools in the Lake Washington School District. Renting is a more accessible entry point, with a range of apartment complexes in the Overlake and downtown areas, though rental prices reflect the city’s desirability. The good news is that Washington State has no income tax, which meaningfully offsets the high cost of living for high earners. The city’s median household income of approximately $162,000 reflects a workforce largely employed in well-compensated tech and engineering roles, so for those arriving with competitive salaries, the math often works out better than the sticker prices suggest.

Employment and Economy

Microsoft’s global headquarters in Redmond remains the economic anchor of the city, employing tens of thousands of people both directly and through an extensive network of contractors and vendors. But the economy is more diversified than that single name implies. Nintendo of America maintains its U.S. headquarters here, and companies like Spaceflight Industries and a dense cluster of biotech and cloud computing startups have established roots in the area. The Overlake neighborhood in particular has become a genuine tech campus corridor. Seattle is also just 16 miles west, accessible by SR-520 or the Sound Transit light rail extension that now connects Redmond to the broader region, expanding your employment options considerably beyond city limits.

Lifestyle and Recreation

Redmond earns its nickname “Bicycle Capital of the Northwest” legitimately. The Sammamish River Trail runs directly through the city and connects to the Burke-Gilman Trail, giving cyclists and runners a car-free corridor stretching for miles. Marymoor Park, a 640-acre green space along Lake Sammamish, hosts outdoor concerts, a climbing wall, off-leash dog areas, and a world-class velodrome. In winter, Snoqualmie Pass is less than an hour away for skiing and snowshoeing. The local food scene, particularly along Redmond Way, has matured considerably, with strong options spanning Japanese, Korean, Indian, and Pacific Northwest cuisine.

The Bottom Line

Redmond is an exceptional place to live if you arrive prepared for premium prices. The infrastructure is excellent, the natural environment is stunning, and the career opportunities are genuinely among the best on the West Coast. Come with realistic financial expectations, get pre-approved before you start house hunting, and give yourself time to explore the neighborhoods before committing. Most people who move here don’t regret it — they just wish they’d negotiated a higher salary first.