Is Maple Valley, WA a Good Place to Live?
Maple Valley is a small city of 27,889 in Washington, with a median household income of $137,595 and a 4.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 113 (US average = 100), which is 13% above the national average.
Strengths: Maple Valley stands out for lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B+), a well-educated population.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an above-average cost of living, high home prices, longer commutes. Whether Maple Valley is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Maple Valley 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: 113.0Maple Valley's overall cost of living index is 113.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Maple Valley costs roughly 13% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Maple Valley, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $622,100 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $2,127 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 85.0% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $137,595 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Very SafeMaple Valley's violent crime rate is 108.6 per 100,000 residents — 71% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Maple Valley is served primarily by Tahoma School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 19.8:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Maple Valley, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Tahoma School District | — |
| Elementary Schools | 6 | — |
| Middle Schools | 2 | — |
| High Schools | 2 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 19.8:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 46.3% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 97.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Maple Valley sees average highs of 45.7°F in January and 77.0°F in July, with 59.7 inches of annual precipitation and 17.5 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Maple Valley, WA |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 45.7°F |
| Average High — July | 77.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 59.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 17.5" |
Demographics
| Metric | Maple Valley, WA | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 27,889 | — |
| Median Age | 36.4 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.9% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 39.1 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 76.7% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.8% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 11.2% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 31.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 9.1% | 16.8% |