Is Big Lake, WA a Good Place to Live?
Big Lake is a small town of 2,267 in Washington, with a median household income of $108,654 and a 2.1% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 106 (US average = 100), which is 6% above the national average.
Strengths: Big Lake stands out for solid school ratings (B-).
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include high home prices. Whether Big Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Big Lake city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 106.0Big Lake's overall cost of living index is 106.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Big Lake costs roughly 6% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Big Lake, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $572,300 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,823 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 85.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $108,654 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeBig Lake's violent crime rate is 131.6 per 100,000 residents — 65% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Big Lake is served primarily by Conway School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.8:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Big Lake, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Conway School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 1 | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 33.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.8% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Big Lake sees average highs of 46.0°F in January and 74.5°F in July, with 48.5 inches of annual precipitation and 5.7 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Big Lake, WA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 46.0°F |
| Average High — July | 74.5°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 48.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 5.7" |
Demographics
| Metric | Big Lake, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 2,267 | — |
| Median Age | 53.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.1% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 27.7 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.3% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 3.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 17.7% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 29.7% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in Big Lake
Big Lake, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code: