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City Guide
Living in Auburn. Valley floor, room to breathe.
A walkable old downtown, a Sounder station right on Main Street, and single-family prices that leave money in the budget after closing. Living in Auburn, WA means a spot on the valley floor between the Green and White rivers.
Living here
Main Street keeps its brick-storefront bones with breweries and small restaurants, and the city is building a new 300-seat downtown theater on the block where the old Auburn Avenue Theater stood. Lea Hill and West Hill climb out of the valley for views and newer construction. The valley floor keeps the classic ramblers and the flattest bike rides in the region.
There is more going on here than people expect. Green River College sits up on Lea Hill, Emerald Downs runs thoroughbreds all summer, and the Muckleshoot Tribe's casino keeps Auburn Way South busy year round. The Interurban Trail runs flat through the whole valley for bike commuters, and Game Farm Park stretches along the White River on the south end of town.
Main Street, downtown Auburn · Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0
Who it fits
Commuters who build their life around the Sounder schedule, and buyers stretching into a first house who want a real downtown within walking distance.
Getting around
Auburn is one of the best transit stories in South King County. Sounder trains leave Auburn Station downtown and reach King Street Station in Seattle in about 35 minutes, with service south to Puyallup and Tacoma and a parking garage right at the platform. Drivers get two highways: SR 167 runs north up the valley toward Renton and I-405, and SR 18 links I-5 at Federal Way to I-90 near Snoqualmie, which makes Eastside commutes workable without ever touching Seattle. Sea-Tac is about 20 minutes in light traffic, Tacoma about 25, and Boeing's Auburn fabrication plant means a lot of people work right in town.
Schools
For most addresses, Auburn schools mean the Auburn School District. A slice of West Hill falls in Federal Way Public Schools, and part of Lakeland Hills on the Pierce County side is served by the K-8 Dieringer School District. Independent ratings are linked, with deeper data on the state's OSPI report card.
- Auburn High SchoolHigh school · Auburn School District
- Auburn Riverside High SchoolHigh school · Auburn School District
- Auburn Mountainview High SchoolHigh school · Auburn School District
- Rainier Middle SchoolMiddle school · Auburn School District
- Bowman Creek ElementaryElementary · Auburn School District · opened in 2020
- Auburn School DistrictDistrictRatings on GreatSchools →
School assignment depends on the exact address. We check boundaries for any home you're considering, before you write an offer.
Photo: WindowSeat Photography · Unsplash
Common questions
Straight answers to what buyers ask us about Auburn most.
Is Auburn, WA a good place to live?
For commuters and first-time buyers it is one of the strongest picks in South King County: a walkable old downtown, a Sounder station right on Main Street, and single-family prices that leave room in the budget after closing.
How far is Auburn from Seattle?
About 35 minutes by Sounder train from Auburn Station to King Street Station, with a parking garage right at the platform. Drivers use SR 167 north or SR 18 to I-90 for Eastside commutes. Sea-Tac is about 20 minutes.
What school district serves Auburn?
The Auburn School District, with three comprehensive high schools: Auburn, Auburn Riverside, and Auburn Mountainview. School assignment depends on the exact address, so we check boundaries for any home you are considering.
Is Auburn affordable compared to the rest of King County?
Relative to Seattle and the Eastside, yes. Auburn sits on the valley floor between the Green and White rivers, and its single-family prices remain among the more attainable in the county, which is a big part of why commuters keep landing here.
Nearby guides: Kent Federal Way Puyallup
Photo: William Jacobs · Pexels
Curious what your budget buys in Auburn?
One call gets you a straight answer, from people who work these streets every week.