Thinking about moving to Redmond? Home to Microsoft and Nintendo of America, Redmond is a prosperous Eastside tech city with excellent schools, abundant parks and trails, and a growing downtown. This local guide covers the honest basics — cost of living, the best areas, getting around, and what locals wish they’d known — so you can plan your move with confidence.
Cost of living in Redmond
Redmond is expensive, reflecting its tech job base and schools, though strong salaries and no state income tax help. Newer downtown and Overlake housing vary in price.
Best areas in Redmond
Downtown Redmond for growing, walkable living near light rail; Education Hill for leafy family homes and top schools; Overlake and Grass Lawn for Microsoft-campus convenience; and Bear Creek for wooded space. See our full guide to the best areas to live in Redmond for more detail.
Getting around Redmond
The new light rail connects to Seattle, and Redmond is famously bike-friendly, but the Eastside is fairly car-dependent for family life.
What to know before moving to Redmond
It’s pricey and family-and-tech-focused; weigh cost against excellent schools, parks and trails, a growing downtown, and proximity to major employers.
Things to do once you arrive
Get a head start with our guide to the best things to do in Redmond.
What Redmond locals wish they’d known
The honest, current advice — which areas are worth it, the real commute, where to find community — comes from people who already made the move. On Neighborhood Nurturers’ Redmond community, real Redmond neighbors answer newcomers’ questions candidly. Join your Redmond neighbors free before you move →
The Redmond angle
Newcomers get up to speed fastest by learning the neighborhoods and where locals actually go. Half the fun of settling in in Redmond is stringing it together with the places nearby. Marymoor Park is the landmark most people orient around, but neighbors will tell you the Sammamish River Trail and Idylwood Beach are where the town really shows its character, with the Redmond Central Connector trail worth a look if you have the time. Use those as your reference points and this guide slots neatly into a day that feels like Redmond, not a checklist.
Keep exploring Redmond
If this was useful, these companion guides cover Redmond from angles that pair naturally with it: Best neighborhoods in Redmond, Cost of living in Redmond, Things to do in Redmond. Together they add up to a full weekend without leaving town.
Ask a Redmond neighbor
The best tips never make the guidebooks — they come from neighbors who know which spot is worth it this week. That is what the Redmond community on Neighborhood Nurturers is for. Ask Redmond locals what they would do, or join free and get honest answers from people who actually know Redmond.
Frequently asked questions
Is Redmond expensive to live in?
Yes — it reflects the tech job base and top schools, though strong salaries and no state income tax help.
What are the best areas to live in Redmond?
Downtown Redmond for walkable living near light rail; Education Hill for family homes and top schools; Overlake and Grass Lawn for Microsoft-campus convenience; and Bear Creek for wooded space. See our best-areas guide.
Do you need a car in Redmond?
The new light rail and famous bike network help, but the Eastside is fairly car-dependent for family life.
Is Redmond a good place to move near Seattle?
Yes — for excellent schools, abundant parks and trails, a growing downtown, and proximity to major tech employers, now connected to Seattle by light rail.