Seattle and its surrounding areas are very desirable places to raise a family. As the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is a major seaport. When looking for housing in Seattle, narrowing down search areas can be helpful, especially if you have children and would like to find the best school for your child. Many top neighborhoods rank high by schools’ performance and low crime rates.
Although the city has a higher cost of living when compared to the national average (140%), it has a higher-than-average household income, not to mention excellent schools. This means that the price of apartments in Seattle is higher than you might expect. While many neighborhoods are, technically, part of Seattle, they contain their own neighborhood service centers, historically known as “little city halls.”
Mountlake Terrace – Top Elementary School in Seattle
This area is located 14 miles north of Seattle’s city center. The town is well-known for its schools and parks and the largest employer is Premera Blue Cross, employing approximately 10% of the residents. Within the town, there are 262 acres of parks that offer hiking and biking trails, golf courses, swimming areas and public open spaces. The top elementary school in Seattle is Challenge Elementary, a public grade 1-6 school. On the small side, with only around 250 students, Challenge received the highest math and reading averages in the entire city. Mountlake Terrace holds two other elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, as well as many private schools.
Everett – An All-American City
Everett is located 25 miles north of downtown Seattle. It is the 6th largest town in the state of Washington and received an All-American City award in 2002. This town has the largest public marina, a good fit for those who love to sail. Many residents work for Boeing, as this town is home of the assembly plant for Boeing 747, 767, 777 and 787 aircrafts. Everett also holds a naval station.
There are numerous schools in Everett, including ITT Technical Institute, Western Washington University, and Ashmead College. Public schools fall under the Everett School District or the Mukilteo School District, depending on specific locations. Cedar Wood Elementary school, a pre-K through 5th grade school, ranked as one of the top schools in the state.
Bellevue – A Waldorf or Montessori Elementary Education
Bellevue is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. It ranked as the best place to live and launch a business in 2008 and is currently the 4th best US city to live in. In past years, Bellevue has grown rapidly, changing its classification from a suburb to a “boom-burb” or edge city. This is the second largest city in Washington and in the top 10 wealthiest. Sports fans will be pleased, as Bellevue has its own American basketball team, the Bellevue Blackhawks. Three Cedars School offers a Waldorf education, described as a humanistic approach to education that uses integrated artistic, practical and conceptual teaching methods. There is also Christian elementary school, several Montessori schools, and four main high schools.
Edmonds – IBDP High School Program
The town of Edmonds is north of Seattle neighboring Mountlake Terrace is one of the more affluent neighborhoods and has a population of just below 40,000. Edmonds is part of the Washington State Ferries system, with a ferry boat that runs from Edmonds to Kingston. Home to the Driftwood Players, the Edmonds Arts festival, and the Edmonds Jazz Connection, Edmonds is no stranger to creativity. Schools include the Edmonds-Woodway High school, which is only one of eight schools in the state that offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).
This two-year program is available for junior and seniors in high school as a way to earn internationally-accepted qualifications for higher education. The program is academically challenging and offers a broader horizon for career opportunities.
This guest post was written and provided by Martha Keagan who is a freelance writer, full time mother and part time local apartment rentals broker.
Leave A Reply With Facebook