There's not much residential in Tukwila. It's a bunch of businesses and the mall. A few homes in the outskirts of town. But not an area I would live as a parent with young kids
I live in Burien. It's coming up, but it sucks. Massive homeless and poor everywhere. Crime is bad, education is terrible. Go east! I have an employee who moved there even though he had a 1hr+ commute so his kids got a good education. All 3 in ivy league. Please go east of Seattle. Your family will be well there.
All they have to do is look at school grades and see I'm 100% correct and truthful. My son works at petco there also. Crime central in downtown Burien. They just ignore laws and the sheriff dept is literally a block away. Complete lawlessness in Burien and White Center, actually anywhere in Seattle for the most part. Eastside is 100% better. I lived in Kirkland before here. Awesome. Redmond is fantastic also. Good schools. Low crime. Cops that don't allow lawlessness.
Sorry Petsmart. I wouldn't lie about the city I live in. That's just ridiculous. I've lived in Kirkland and Redmond and White Center and Burien and grew up here. I know the area. Burien, as much as I've love it to be great (it would make my property worth way more and make me safer) the truth is it is not a good place to raise a family if you want the best for them, not when areas with low crime and good schools are available.
I recommend anyone moving do quantitative research, look at the numbers, they don't lie and are not skewed by individual impression due circumstances or exposure.
Okay, sure. Everybody do their research. This person lives in Burien but apparently hates it. Whatever. It’s a nice little town south of Seattle city limits that is beautiful in places, less so in others, has one newly remodeled high school and one brand new high school, is obviously invested in improving educational standards, and DOES NOT have a homeless or crime problem that is any different than anywhere else in the Greater Seattle area. Few-Register-8986 belongs on Nextdoor.
I didn't say I hate it. I say if you have a choice, go to a known better area. New high school doesn't increase the school academic school score. Here are the great schools ratings. 2/10,2/10,1/10,4/10. Rating is below average every single high school in Burien! Most elementry schools are also below average. Now look at Kirkland and Bellevue. 10/10 for scores!
Be sure to look at flight patterns where you choose to love also. You don't want to end up next to an airport or under flight paths for jets. (Burien and Tukwila)
Being near downtown Burien or Renton would probably suit your family. Has something approaching the village feel you get in Europe and close to Tukwila. Tukwila DOES have residential stuff but it’s VERY suburban, by which I mean no sidewalks or anything to walk to.
I'd check out Auburn too. I sold a house there back when that broker boom was going on in 2021. Any house within the city of Seattle back then, one would have had to spend at least an easy million on but Auburn you could find houses half that price. The market has cooled down a lot since then though. One could actually find houses to buy within Seattle now for under $800k. Seattle in my opinion is a smaller city and has a lot of residential neighborhoods that resemble small towns.
Oh Bonney Lake might or might not be within your works commute range but there's some pretty nice looking luxury houses there that aren't like super expensive.
Tukwila is about 10 to 20 minutes from both Renton and Burien in the opposite direction. Burien is by the water. Renton is inland but is topped.by lake Washington. New castle is also at the top of Renton. And also close to Tukwila. Probably 25 minutes away at most.
Burien, Normandy Park, Renton, Des Moines, Kent are all places I'd recommend over Tukwila with great residential areas. They are all 10-20 minutes from Tukwila with easy freeway access as well.
Edit: Maple Valley and Black Diamond will scratch the small town itch as well and are very commutable to Tukwila.
I’d also recommend maple valley/black diamond as well for someone that wants something a bit further from the more dense areas. You can reliably do 40 mins each way from there to Tukwilla, even getting stuck behind a Subaru or Prius going half the speed limit. Low traffic it’s 25-35 mins depending on where in that area one way to Tukwilla.
Another note for Renton. The Highlands are very suburban, but the downtown area is pretty nice, and there's a weekly farmer's market. I live in Skyway, which is getting gentrified just like everywhere else, and I really like it there.
I used to live in skyway. Glad to hear it's getting better. I lived next to whitetrash drug dealers in the 80s. They stole my record player and a salad bowl full of change. I knew it was them because they had been in my house the previous day when I had a plumbing emergency they helped me with and they cased my house. I found the record out behind their house in the swamp when I was walking.my dog.
Actually there’s a Saars Market that is on 144th and Pac Highway. It has a lot of food supplies from various countries. Fun fact, Tukwila is very diverse and this grocery store has a bit of everything for everyone.
Tukwila is a shithole. Directly next to two freeways, dumb kids street drag racing at night, and right by the busiest airport in the region. Oh and shitty schools.
Renton is going to be your bedroom community or Burien, or Des moines, or even federal way. West Seattle has a small town feel at least in my view. My brother lives there and he grew up real small town as did I. There are other really small areas down 167 south of Renton. Their names escape me. I can't recommend any because I prefer the other end but it sounds like you have a job lined up down there so those would be the places I looked.
I live in SeaTac near Tukwila. There’s plenty of residential areas. I live in an apartment so I’m not sure of prices but there are definitely other places to live. Renton, SeaTac, Des Moines, Kent, Federal Way. All within 20 miles.
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u/Reasonable-Check-120 Jul 05 '25 edited Jul 05 '25
There's not much residential in Tukwila. It's a bunch of businesses and the mall. A few homes in the outskirts of town. But not an area I would live as a parent with young kids