SounderBruce, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
If moving to Seattle, Washington feels a bit overwhelming, you’re not alone. Moving can be a time filled with emotions from excitement, anticipation to stress and fear of the unknown. If you are moving to the Seattle, Washington area and you’ve considered moving to Lynnwood, Washington, this blog post is for you. We will cover the top Pros & Cons of Living in Lynnwood, Washington, so keep on reading!
The Seattle area has a ton of great suburbs to choose from and if Lynnwood is on your list, you have a lot to discover about the rapidly changing city! If you haven’t been to Lynnwood in a while, you will be shocked to see how much of the city has changed and what changes are still underway.
With 39,387 residents calling Lynnwood home, the first PRO of living in Lynnwood is…
Lynnwood PRO #1 – Location, Location, Location!
Situated 16 miles north of Seattle, and just 13 miles south of Everett makes residing in Lynnwood a prime location for commuting to larger cities for employment.
Lynnwood is located in Snohomish County, Washington, whereas Seattle is in King County. It is a convenient location for those who want to be close to the big city, but also want to live in a more suburban setting.
Lynnwood is also close to a number of major employers, including Boeing, Costco, and Nordstrom.
It’s also conveniently located near both I-5 and 405 to also be close enough to the East Side – Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, and also just to explore its neighboring cities for a different vibe!
Lynnwood to seattle
lynnwood to everett
As you can see by the maps above, Lynnwood is really situated between the two main highways that are used for commuting around the greater Seattle area.
This next map shows Lynnwood with Highway 99 (aka Pacific Highway& Evergreen Highway but most locals call it ’99’). You can see Highway 99 running through the midst of the city.
Highway 99 is a major smaller highway that runs from Everett all the way down past Seattle to Fife, Washington. You can travel on Highway 99 and cut over to I-5 no matter what part of Lynnwood you reside in.
Anywhere you live within the city of Lynnwood, you can easily access the major highways needed to get you to where you need to go!
LYNNWOOD CON #1 – Traffic
I would say that traffic is one of the top cons of living in the Seattle area as that is one of the things most people do complain about.
Although the location of Lynnwood is very convenient with being super close to all major highways, the traffic is pretty tough during peak times.
Commuting to downtown Seattle from Lynnwood can take you anywhere from 30 minutes all the way to an hour or a little over, depending on several factors – weather, road conditions and construction.
Driving here can be a little frustrating as it seems as though when it rains, no one knows how to drive in it! Sure, you do need to be a little cautious for rain driving but there is no need to drive 10-15 miles under the speed limit on the freeway!
Whether you’re commuting to downtown Seattle, Bellevue or even north to Everett, Lynnwood is right in the hub of the major highways for commuting. I-5 North and I-5 South is easily accessible from really anywhere in Lynnwood as well as the I-405 entrance ramps for eastside commuting.
The main side roads that feed into the freeway entrances get backed up and in all transparency, Alderwood Mall area is usually congested especially during the holidays BUT .. you have a pretty amazing shopping destination right in your city! Nordstrom anyone? Yes, please!
Lynnwood will be adding the Light Rail to the city soon – work is progressing each day and it will really help with those commuting south of Lynnwood. More to come in a future blog post about the Light Rail but for now you can check out the Sound Transit Website for more information!
LYNNWOOD PRO #2 – Everything You Need!
With the changing landscape of Lynnwood, it really does offer just about everything you could possibly need right in your own city!
There are grocery stores from Trader Joe’s, Safeway, QFC, Fred Meyer, Whole Foods, Walmart, H Mart and even a Costco in different parts of the city so depending on where you live, a grocery store is likely less than 5-10 minutes away from your home.
Alderwood Mall is the most concentrated shopping area in Snohomish County and offers a wide variety of retail stores from Nordstrom to Pottery Barn in the flow of a traditional enclosed mall with the addition of outdoor shopping. There are so many restaurants to choose from in this area as well as a newly added Dave & Busters to get some gaming and socializing in as well as catching a movie at the AMC Alderwood Mall 16 movie theaters.
You will also find Lynnwood has a City Rec Center that has an awesome pool, Senior Center with a lot of fun programs as well as private gyms, bowling, skating and so much more!
LYNNWOOD CON #2 – Housing||Cost of Living
If you have done any sort of research on the cost of living in the state of Washington, you should be pretty prepared that our cost of living is definitely on the higher end of the spectrum.
Now, it is lower than the national average on some things but the big item we are going to focus on is….housing.
The median home price in Lynnwood has increased dramatically over the past five years. In June of 2018, the median home price for a single family residential home was $582,263.00 Fast forward five years to June 2023, the median house price is currently for the city of Lynnwood is coming in at $784,000.00
Compare that to the national average home price of $519,100.00 – that’s a whopping difference of 51% higher home price for Lynnwood or to put it into dollars …$264,900.00
Housing is a hot topic and has been for quite some time in the greater Seattle area. Our Washington State population has increased by 244,840 people since 2020. Granted, this was lower than the past decade but we were behind in housing demands the past decade and we are still facing the same issues.
Renting in the general Seattle area is also higher than the national average but specifically in Lynnwood, according to Rent., the average rental in Lynnwood ranges from $1,855 to $2,790.
Part of the housing con also is going to include the hot topic of homelessness. We have a problem here. Is it improving, is it getting worse? Hard to say. Depends on who you ask. Me personally, I see it every single day. No matter what city you are in, you will see someone on a corner with a sign. I am not debating whether it’s increasing, decreasing, but I am just stating what I observe and I honestly see homelessness in every city I go into, or signs of it, on a daily basis.
Back to the housing market…good news! Once you move into a home – congratulations! You’re more than likely going to build some serious equity into that investment of yours!
LYNNWOOD PRO #3 – The Great Outdoors!
No matter the weather, Washingtonians love being outside and living in Lynnwood gives residents plenty of opportunities to go and explore. Lynnwood boasts 17 beautifully developed parks and 14 miles of trails. From small, intimate spaces to sprawling landscapes, these parks offer a wide range of amenities, including sports fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, and walking trails.
Lynnwood also has the draw of the Interurban Trail.
The Interurban Trail begins in North Seattle and continues north through Shoreline, Edmonds, Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, unincorporated Snohomish County, and Everett. It is 24 miles long in total. Locals enjoy the Interurban Trail for walking, biking, running, dog walking and rollerblading through Lynnwood and into Seattle. It is a former railway corridor that was converted into a trail in the 1990s.
LYNNWOOD Con #3 – Weather
It Rains But Not As Much As You Think …..
The Puget Sound Convergence Zone (PSCZ) is a band of air that forms when two different air masses meet. It is most common in the winter, when the air over the Pacific Ocean is warmer than the air over the Cascade Mountains. When these two air masses meet, they can create all sorts of wacky weather conditions, like thunderstorms, fog, and even snow in the summer.
Lynnwood, Edmonds, Mukilteo, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Shoreline, Bothell and Everett are the cities that are most affected by the Puget Sound Convergence Zone. These cities are mostly in the central and south Snohomish County area where the majority of the convergence zone commonly forms.
The nice thing to remember is that we typically do see a late burn-off on those gray days – usually around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m., and you really do need to go out and enjoy the sunshine when you can on those kind of days!
My biggest tip for those new to the area is you don’t really need to pack all of your winter clothes away. Save a few sweaters because you will most likely wear them throughout the year and it’s a good idea to wear layers in the Pacific Northwest!
If you’re considering a move to Lynnwood or have any real estate goals in the area, I would be thrilled to assist you as your dedicated realtor. With my expertise and local knowledge, I can guide you through the intricacies of the Lynnwood housing market, helping you find the perfect home that aligns with your needs and budget.
Whether you’re a first-time homebuyer, looking to upgrade, or interested in investment opportunities, my commitment to delivering exceptional service and achieving your real estate objectives is always top priority. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me today to discuss your plans, ask any questions you may have, or schedule a consultation.
If you would like to find out more about the city of Lynnwood and what it looks like, make sure you check out the video Pros & Cons of Living In Lynnwood!
This was a great blog article! Great job Michelle!
Thank you for reading all about Lynnwood, Washington!