Should I Move To
Roughly 51,505 people live in Burien, Washington. Living here costs expensive relative to the rest of the country, 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,649/mo; the typical household pulls in $84,583. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 60/100 — a C+, putting it at #129 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, Burien sits at 123 — expensive when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,649/mo against $84,583 median household income), housing eats roughly 23% of a typical paycheck — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Buying-side, the median home value is $566,500.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is four-season: roughly 75°F in summer, 38°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 39 inches. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car. Air quality reads good (AQI 45).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, Burien isn't the strongest match. It earns 51/100 (grade C-) on the families profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on affordability (24/100).
For retirees, Burien is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 62/100 (grade C+) on the retirees profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on affordability (24/100).
For remote workers, Burien isn't the strongest match. It earns 54/100 (grade C-) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on affordability (24/100).
For young professionals, Burien is workable — not standout, not weak. It earns 64/100 (grade C+) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on climate (96/100); weakest on affordability (24/100).
Burien, Washington pulls a 60/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade C+), currently ranked #129 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Burien's cost-of-living index is 123 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 23% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,649/mo.
Four-season — summer averages around 75°F, winter averages around 38°F, with about 39 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 78/100. Very walkable in most central neighborhoods — daily errands rarely require a car.
Burien has about 51,505 residents, 30% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 40.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Burien head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Burien stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Burien with other Washington cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.