This section is generated from cached city metrics and clearly labeled state-level benchmarks. It is meant to make the Lake Stevens page less generic and more useful for comparing housing, income, utilities, taxes, insurance, demographics, and nearby alternatives.
Affordability Summary
Population is 39,500, so Lake Stevens should be compared with similar-size places before using broader Washington averages. Median household income is $118,290, so the best affordability read for Lake Stevens is income versus housing, taxes, utilities, and insurance together.
Median home value is $593,900, so ownership costs in Lake Stevens should be checked with mortgage, property tax, insurance, and maintenance assumptions. Two-bedroom rent is $2,189/mo, so renters can compare Lake Stevens against ownership costs and nearby rental markets.
Housing and Income Context
For Lake Stevens, household income runs high enough that housing choice can dominate affordability. Home values are elevated enough that taxes and financing terms can move the total cost.
Use the home value, rent, and income fields together before deciding whether Lake Stevens looks more favorable for renting, buying, or comparing with Machias, WA.
Utility Cost Context
The residential electricity benchmark is $0.144/kWh, so Lake Stevens households should treat usage, home size, heating, and cooling as the practical bill drivers. The electricity value shown for Lake Stevens is a Washington state-level EIA benchmark, so it should not be read as a local provider tariff.
For Lake Stevens, utility planning is stronger when the electric benchmark is paired with home age, square footage, insulation, HVAC equipment, and household occupancy.
Property Tax Context
Median property tax paid is $4,835, so Lake Stevens buyers should still verify parcel-specific tax records before budgeting. Parcel boundaries, exemptions, school districts, and reassessment rules can move the actual bill for a Lake Stevens address.
Compare the property tax field with home value rather than reading it by itself; a lower tax bill can still pair with a different assessment base or exemption profile.
Insurance and Risk Context
Insurance costs in Lake Stevens depend on address-level factors such as roof condition, structure age, coverage limits, claims history, deductible choice, and carrier underwriting.
Home value, tax burden, and insurance exposure should be reviewed together for Lake Stevens, especially when comparing with Machias, WA.
Population and Demographics
Median age is 34.8, so Lake Stevens may have different school, commute, healthcare, and housing demand patterns than a statewide average. Bachelor+ share is 33.6%, so Lake Stevens education context can be useful when reading labor-market and school sections.
Unemployment is 5.2%, so Lake Stevens wage and job-market context should be compared with commute options and regional employment centers.
