REDMOND

Located on the north end of Lake Sammamish, Redmond is a Northwest fusion of big business and the beautiful outdoors. It is home to some of the world's largest tech companies, including Microsoft and Nintendo of America. Eddie Bauer makes its company headquarters here, too.

Salmon-spawning streams and evergreen-lined trails in Redmond provide an ideal setting for outdoor recreation. Marymoor Park, the city's largest, includes soccer fields, lighted tennis courts, a large off-leash dog area and one of the nation's few velodromes. The park also serves as the southern trailhead for the Sammamish River Trail - a 27-mile path that stretches past a number of wineries and breweries to Seattle's Gas Works Park on Lake Union.

As one of the state's fastest growing cities, new development in Redmond is abundant. Just last year, the Redmond Town Center opened, offering an array of restaurants and shops and an eight-screen movie complex. And the Redmond Regional Library is slated to open this fall at twice the size of the current building.

Population: 45,256
Average rent: $1,154
Average home value: $256,268
Median household income: $77,913

City of Redmond
Redmond Regional Library
Redmond Chamber of Commerce
Lake Washington School District
Microsoft
Nintendo

Issaquah sits at the foot of the Cascade Mountains, just minutes from Seattle. With its historic downtown, Issaquah offers small town charm with equal accessibility to city life and outdoor recreation.

There are more than 200 miles of hiking trails surrounding Issaquah and the ski lift at Snoqualmie Pass is just 45 minutes away. The city is located at the south end of Lake Sammamish and the state park here includes boat ramps, swimming areas and picnic facilities. Salmon returning from the Pacific Ocean to spawn can be seen in downtown Issaquah at the state's most visited salmon hatchery.

The region's growth hasn't missed Issaquah. A major project that was just recently completed, Pickering Place, brought a collection of shops and restaurants and a multi-screen movie complex to Issaquah.

Population: 9,664
Average Tax Rate: $13.43/$1,000 assessed property value
Median Household Income: $62,192
Average Rent: $942
Average Home Value: $251,576

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