What are the schools like in Cottage Lake, WA?

Cottage Lake is served primarily by Northshore School District. The district operates 23 elementary schools, 6 middle schools, and 8 high schools with a student-to-teacher ratio of 18.7:1.

What is the median household income in Cottage Lake?

The median household income in Cottage Lake, WA is $186,402 according to the most recent US Census American Community Survey 5-year estimates. The unemployment rate is 3.6%.

What is the weather like in Cottage Lake, WA?

Cottage Lake has an average high temperature of 44.0°F in January and 74.2°F in July. Annual precipitation averages 50.8 inches and annual snowfall averages 3.0 inches.

Cottage Lake, WA Cost of Living, Crime & Is It a Good Place to Live? (2026)

Q: Is Cottage Lake, WA affordable or expensive?

Cottage Lake's cost of living index is 113, where 100 represents the national average. This means Cottage Lake is 13% more expensive than the average US city. The median home value is $1,094,000 and the median rent is $2,233 per month.

Q: What is the crime rate in Cottage Lake, WA?

Cottage Lake has a violent crime rate of 439.7 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 3561.5 per 100,000. The national average violent crime rate is approximately 380 per 100,000.

Is Cottage Lake, WA a Good Place to Live?

Cottage Lake is a small city of 23,233 in Washington, with a median household income of $186,402 and a 3.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 113 (US average = 100), which is 13% above the national average.

Strengths: Cottage Lake stands out for solid school ratings (A-), a well-educated population.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices. Whether Cottage Lake is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Cottage 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: 113.0

Cottage Lake's overall cost of living index is 113.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Cottage Lake costs roughly 13% more than the average American city.

Metric	Cottage Lake, WA	National Avg
Median Home Value	$1,094,000	$244,900
Median Monthly Rent	$2,233	$1,163
Homeownership Rate	91.8%	65.9%
Median Household Income	$186,402	$74,755

Crime & Safety

Near National Average

Cottage Lake's violent crime rate is 439.7 per 100,000 residents — 16% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime

439.7 /100k

Property Crime

3561.5 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Cottage Lake is served primarily by Northshore School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.7:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric	Cottage Lake, WA	National Avg
School District	Northshore School District	—
Elementary Schools	23	—
Middle Schools	6	—
High Schools	8	—
Student/Teacher Ratio	18.7:1	16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher	67.0%	35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher	97.4%	91.1%

Weather & Climate

Cottage Lake sees average highs of 44.0°F in January and 74.2°F in July, with 50.8 inches of annual precipitation and 3.0 inches of snow per year.

Metric	Cottage Lake, WA
Average High — January	44.0°F
Average High — July	74.2°F
Annual Precipitation	50.8"
Annual Snowfall	3.0"

Demographics

Metric	Cottage Lake, WA	National Avg
Population	23,233	—
Median Age	44.5	38.9
Unemployment Rate	3.6%	3.7%
Avg Commute Time	28.2 min	26 min
White (non-Hispanic)	79.8%	59.3%
Black or African American	0.6%	13.6%
Hispanic or Latino	4.7%	18.9%
Asian	9.2%	6.3%
Under 18	23.5%	22.2%
65 and over	16.7%	16.8%

Nearby Cities

Woodinville, WA 3 mi Maltby, WA 4 mi High Bridge, WA 4 mi Duvall, WA 5 mi Redmond, WA 5 mi

ZIP Codes in Cottage Lake

Cottage Lake, WA is covered by 2 ZIP codes:

98077 98072

Cottage Lake vs Other Cities

Cottage Lake, WA vs Woodinville, WA Cottage Lake, WA vs Maltby, WA Cottage Lake, WA vs High Bridge, WA Cottage Lake, WA vs Duvall, WA Cottage Lake, WA vs Redmond, WA

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cottage Lake, WA affordable or expensive?

Cottage Lake's cost of living index is 113, where 100 is the national average. That puts Cottage Lake roughly 13% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $1,094,000 and median rent is $2,233/month.

What is the crime rate in Cottage Lake, WA?

Cottage Lake's violent crime rate is 439.7 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 3561.5 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

What are the schools like in Cottage Lake?

Public schools in Cottage Lake are operated by Northshore School District. The district has 23 elementary, 6 middle, and 8 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.7:1. 67.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Is Cottage Lake, WA a good place to live?

Cottage Lake, WA has a population of 23,233, a median household income of $186,402, and an unemployment rate of 3.6%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.

What is the weather like in Cottage Lake?

Cottage Lake averages 44.0°F in January and 74.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 50.8 inches with about 3.0 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).

What ZIP codes are in Cottage Lake?

Cottage Lake, WA is covered by 2 ZIP codes: 98077, 98072.

What is the population of Cottage Lake?

The population of Cottage Lake, Washington is 23,233 with a median age of 44.5. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.

What are the pros and cons of living in Cottage Lake?

Key numbers for living in Cottage Lake: cost of living index 113 (100 = US average), median home $1,094,000, median household income $186,402, crime index 137 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated A-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Cottage Lake side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.