Relocating to Kenmore
The quiet north tip of Lake Washington: lakefront parks, the Burke-Gilman Trail and easier entry prices than Kirkland next door.
A lakeside city that flies under the radar, ten minutes from Kirkland and Bothell and a straight shot down 522 to Seattle.
—— Living in Kenmore
Kenmore sits where the Sammamish River meets the north end of Lake Washington. Log Boom Park, Saint Edward State Park and the Burke-Gilman Trail give it more shoreline and trail than cities twice its size, and a rebuilt downtown around the Hangar and city hall has added restaurants and a walkable core.
Buyers come here for two reasons: a Seattle commute along SR 522 that avoids 405 entirely, and prices that still sit below Kirkland and Bothell for comparable homes. Northshore School District covers the whole city.
Getting around
Commute times from Kenmore
Typical weekday morning drive times from central Kenmore. SR 522 handles the Seattle direction and is the main variable; the Bothell and Kirkland trips are short in any traffic.
| Destination | Typical AM drive |
|---|---|
| University of Washington, Seattle | 20 to 35 min |
| Downtown Seattle | 30 to 45 min |
| Amazon, South Lake Union | 30 to 45 min |
| Downtown Kirkland | 10 to 20 min |
| Microsoft main campus, Redmond | 25 to 35 min |
| Downtown Bellevue | 25 to 40 min |
| UW Bothell and Cascadia College | 5 to 10 min |
Kenmore is one of the better transit cities on the Eastside for Seattle trips: the Kenmore park-and-ride and Stride bus rapid transit on SR 522 connect to the 1 Line light rail at Shoreline South, and the Burke-Gilman Trail is a real bike commute to the UW for the committed.
Where to live
Kenmore neighborhoods
Kenmore runs along the lakeshore and up the hills on both sides of 522. Lakefront and near-lake homes on the south side, larger 1970s and 1980s neighborhoods to the north.
Schools
Schools in Kenmore
All of Kenmore is in the Northshore School District. Inglemoor High School serves the city, with Kenmore Middle and Northshore Middle and several neighborhood elementaries.
Inglemoor carries an International Baccalaureate program and Northshore is generally well regarded; a few far-west addresses near Lake Forest Park fall into Shoreline School District, so verify by parcel.
- Northshore School District: Inglemoor High, Kenmore Middle, Northshore Middle
- Elementaries include Arrowhead, Kenmore, Moorlands and Lockwood
- Bastyr University sits inside Saint Edward State Park
- UW Bothell and Cascadia College are five minutes away
Housing and prices
What homes cost in Kenmore
| Neighborhood | Typical housing | Typical 2026 range |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown townhomes | Newer townhomes and condos | $600K to $950K |
| Lakepointe and Log Boom | Lakefront and near-lake | $1.5M to $4M plus |
| Inglewood and Arrowhead | View homes, 1960s to 1990s | $1.1M to $2.0M |
| Uplake | Wooded lots, mixed ages | $1.0M to $1.7M |
| Moorlands | 1970s to 1980s single-family | $950K to $1.4M |
| Kenmore Hills | 1990s to 2010s subdivisions | $900K to $1.3M |
| Lake Forest Park edge | Older homes on wooded lots | $850K to $1.3M |
| Swamp Creek area | Mixed ages and price points | $750K to $1.2M |
The citywide median sits near $1.0M to $1.1M, roughly 20 to 30 percent below Kirkland for a comparable house. Lakefront and Inglewood view homes are the exception. Kenmore is one of the last places on the Eastside where a detached home under $1M is a realistic search.
Life in Kenmore
Lake, trail and a quiet main street
The parts of Kenmore that residents talk about most.
- Log Boom Park and the Kenmore waterfront, with the north end of the Burke-Gilman Trail
- Saint Edward State Park: 300 acres of forest and shoreline with the restored Lodge at St. Edward
- The Hangar at Town Square for events and the summer concert series
- Kenmore Air seaplane base, the largest in the region
- Inglewood Golf Club, a private course above the lake
- Rhododendron Park and Wallace Swamp Creek Park trail loops
Move-in resources
Setting up life in Kenmore
The providers and offices you will deal with in the first month.
| Service | Provider | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity and gas | Puget Sound Energy | pse.com; set up service before closing |
| Water and sewer | Northshore Utility District | nud.net |
| Garbage and recycling | Waste Management | Cart size chosen at signup |
| Internet | Comcast Xfinity, Ziply Fiber (partial) | Check fiber availability by address |
| Driver license and vehicle | WA DOL, Shoreline or Lynnwood offices | 30 days to transfer |
| Voter registration | King County Elections | Online with a WA license |
| Library | King County Library System, Kenmore branch | Free card with proof of address |
| Emergency | Northshore Fire Department, Kenmore Police (King County Sheriff) | Non-emergency 206-296-3311 |
City services and offices
- City Hall: 18120 68th Ave NE, Kenmore
- Permits and city services: kenmorewa.gov
- Northshore Utility District for water and sewer: nud.net
- Northshore School District enrollment: nsd.org
- King County property tax and assessor: kingcounty.gov/assessor
- EvergreenHealth Kirkland is the nearest hospital
- Kenmore park-and-ride: 7345 NE 175th St
First-month checklist
- Transfer WA driver license and register vehicles within 30 days
- Open PSE, Northshore Utility District and garbage accounts at closing
- Enroll students and confirm school assignment by address
- Set up mail forwarding and update voter registration
- Re-key locks and locate the water shutoff, panel and gas meter
- Book a furnace or heat pump service before the first cold snap
- Ride the Burke-Gilman to Log Boom Park on the first clear weekend
Questions we get
Kenmore relocation questions
Why is Kenmore cheaper than Kirkland?
Smaller downtown, an older commercial strip along 522 that is still being redeveloped, and less name recognition. The lake, the trail and the schools are the same quality.
How is the Seattle commute?
Better than most of the Eastside. SR 522 avoids 405, and the Stride bus to light rail at Shoreline South makes a car-free UW or downtown trip realistic.
Is downtown Kenmore walkable?
The Town Square and Hangar area is, with restaurants, a brewery and the trail. Most neighborhoods are a short drive or bike ride from it.
What is happening at Lakepointe?
A large waterfront redevelopment on the former industrial site at the mouth of the Sammamish River has been in planning for years. Timing is uncertain; ask us for the current status.
Kenmore or Bothell?
Bothell has the bigger downtown and 405 access. Kenmore has the lake, the trail and the better Seattle commute. Prices are similar; the lifestyle is not.
Thinking about Kenmore?
Tell us where you are coming from, when you need to be here, and what matters most. We will map Kenmore against the alternatives before you tour anything.
Prices reflect NWMLS trailing twelve-month sale data and typical 2026 asking prices; commute times are typical weekday morning estimates. Data reviewed September 2026. Justin Cicero, Managing Broker, Real Broker, LLC.