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An editorial illustration of Mercer Island, Washington
King County · Washington

Mercer Island, WA

Job growth outpaced population growth by 16 points in Mercer Island.

Population
25,870
0% more from 2021 to 2026
Family households
69.8%
±4 points at 90% confidence
Local jobs
7,857
16% more from 2018 to 2023
Median income
$219,069
±$17,476 at 90% confidence
City overview

The forces shaping Mercer Island now.

01
The trajectory

Job growth outpaced population growth by 16 points in Mercer Island.

Mercer Island’s population rose <1% from 2021–2026; its workplace job count rose 16% from 2018–2023. The source periods differ because the two series are released on different schedules.

With jobs moving 16 points faster than population, Mercer Island is likely to rely more on inbound workers. The practical test is whether those workers can reach—or afford to live near—the expanding workplaces.

Population: 2021–2026 · jobs: 2018–2023
02
A split geography of work

39% work from home, while Seattle is Mercer Island’s largest outside job destination.

39% of workers report usually working from home. In the separate workplace-flow data, 46% of observed resident jobs are in Seattle and 13% are in Bellevue.

Remote-work policy and the trip to Seattle can therefore change demand for local cafés, office space, roads, and transit even when Mercer Island itself adds no new employer.

Work from home: 2024 · job destinations: 2023
03
The local economic engine

Healthcare leads at 19%, with education close behind at 14%.

Mercer Island contains 7,857 workplace jobs. Healthcare accounts for 19% of them. Education is next at 14%.

Hospital capacity, shift-worker transportation, and health-sector hiring will affect Mercer Island more directly than a conventional office cycle.

Workplace jobs: 2023
People

Who lives here—and which households shape demand?

The typical household estimate is 2.5 people. 70% are estimated to be family households, while 24% are estimated to be people living alone.

Average household size
2.5

±0.1 people at 90% confidence

Median age
46.4

±1.8 years at 90% confidence

Living alone
24%

±4 points at 90% confidence

Bachelor’s degree+
81%

Among residents age 25 and older. ±5 points at 90% confidence

Population composition

Who lives here

Estimated share of all Mercer Island residents. Each percentage uses the city’s total population as its denominator.

White, non-Hispanic63% ±3 pts
Chinese, except Taiwanese11% ±2 pts
Two or more races, non-Hispanic8.4% ±2 pts
Asian Indian3.7% ±1 pts
Korean3.4% ±1 pts
Japanese2.5% ±2 pts
Hispanic / Latino, any race2.4% ±0.7 pts
Two or more Asian groups1.3% ±0.6 pts
Vietnamese1.1% ±0.7 pts
Black, non-Hispanic0.9% ±0.5 pts
Taiwanese0.7% ±0.5 pts
Another race, non-Hispanic0.6% ±0.5 pts
Filipino0.5% ±0.3 pts
Thai0.3% ±0.3 pts
Other Asian, not specified0.2% ±0.3 pts
Pakistani0.1% ±0.2 pts
Indonesian<0.1% ±0.1 pts
Cambodian<0.1% ±<0.1 pt
American Indian / Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.0% ±0.1 pts
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.0% ±0.1 pts

0% published estimate: Hmong, Mongolian, Okinawan, Other East Asian, Burmese, Laotian, Malaysian, Mien, Singaporean, Other Southeast Asian, Bangladeshi, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Sikh, Sri Lankan, Other South Asian, Afghan, Kazakh, Uzbek, Other Central Asian, Other Asian, specified. Zero is not proof that no residents identify with that group.

ACS 2020–2024 · 5-year estimates
Dataset
U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates · tables B03002 and B02015
Period
2020–2024
Geography
Mercer Island Census place
Definition
Race and Hispanic/Latino origin are self-reported Census concepts. Hispanic/Latino may be of any race; the broad display uses non-Hispanic race categories plus Hispanic/Latino of any race.
Method
Every percentage is shown with its 90% margin of error. Detailed Asian estimates use the Asian-alone universe and are divided by the city population for display.
Open the official source ↗
Work

What powers the local economy—and how dependent is it?

Healthcare & Social Assistance accounts for 19% of jobs located in Mercer Island. The city’s job base changed +28% between 2010 and 2023.

Jobs by sector

Workplace jobs inside the city—not the industries of residents who commute elsewhere.

Healthcare & Social Assistance19%
Education (includes academia/research)14%
Professional Services (partial technology proxy)11%
Hospitality9%
Retail9%

Historical employer snapshot

Large employers and public anchors identified by the City of Mercer Island · Historical employer snapshot · 2024 plan; employer announcements dated 2021–2022. The source is older than the current employer publication window; headcounts are historical, not current.

Mercer Island School DistrictNearly 500 (2022 analysis) · 2024 plan; employer announcements dated 2021–2022
Riot Games400+ announced; in-person level varies · 2024 plan; employer announcements dated 2021–2022
City of Mercer IslandHeadcount not published locally · 2024 plan; employer announcements dated 2021–2022

City of Mercer Island Comprehensive Plan economic-development element ↗. Headcounts change faster than Census employment totals.

Housing

What kinds of homes exist—and where is pressure showing?

67% of occupied homes are estimated to be owner-occupied and 33% rented. The firmer current signal is construction intent: 23 homes were authorized in 2025, versus a recent pace of about 24 per year.

Home value profile

What owner-occupied homes are worth

Owner estimates from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey—not listings, recorded sales, or appraisals. The final Census band is open-ended: $2 million and above.

Median estimate$2M+Census top-coded at $2M+
Middle half of homes$1.5M–$2M+Lower to upper quartile of owner estimates
Luxury-home concentration55%≈3,690 homes · estimated at $2M+
Under $500k6%
$500–749k3%
$750–999k2%
$1–1.49M13%
$1.5–1.99M21%
$2M+55%

These estimates are useful as a distribution, but the survey intervals are too wide to rank Mercer Island or identify one definitive value range.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year tables B25075–B25078. Values cover owner-occupied homes only and do not measure current asking prices or recent purchase prices.

The housing mix we can estimate confidently

This describes the existing stock. It does not imply that one building type is preferable.

Detached houses67%
Attached houses<1%
2–4 unit buildings1%
5+ unit buildings31%
Other1%
Owner-occupied
67%

±4 points at 90% confidence

Owner cost-burdened
24%

Spending 30% or more on selected owner costs. ±4 points at 90% confidence

Homes authorized, 2025
23

Permit authorizations—not construction starts or completed homes.

Residential buildings, 2025
23

One building can contain one home or many housing units.

Permit activity: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, final annual estimate for 2025. Housing units authorized are not starts or completions.

Mobility

Where do residents need to go—and who has a real alternative to driving?

Current transit schedules include 65 stops and 1,472 weekday stop departures inside Mercer Island. The 2020–2024 ACS separately estimates how workers usually commuted; it does not count every transit trip or describe today's schedule.

Weekday departures
1,472

Scheduled stop departures in the current covered-feed snapshot—not riders.

Transit stops
65

Matched inside city limits; nearby cross-border stops are separate.

Top outside workplace
Seattle

46% of observed resident job destinations in 2023 LODES.

Work inside the city
9%

Share of observed resident job destinations located in the same city in 2023 LODES.

Where resident workers go

Top observed workplace destinations. 9% work inside Mercer Island.

Seattle46%
Peak drive: 20–40 min
Bellevue13%
Peak drive: 10–30 min
Redmond8%
Peak drive: 20–50 min
Renton3%

The strongest outside connection is Seattle. Employer or corridor changes there can alter everyday life in Mercer Island, even when nothing changes inside the city boundary.

How residents usually get to work

Citywide ACS 2020–2024 estimates describe workers’ usual commute—not every trip made today.

Drive alone
52%

Share of workers usually driving alone. ±5 points at 90% confidence

Work from home
39%

Share of workers usually working from home. ±4 points at 90% confidence

Use public transit
3.1%

Usual commute mode—not all transit trips. ±1 points at 90% confidence

Commute 45+ minutes
9%

Share of workers with a one-way commute of at least 45 minutes. ±3 points at 90% confidence

For someone choosing a home in Mercer Island, the practical test is the trip to Seattle, the leading outside workplace destination in the published flows. These citywide shares cannot show whether that trip works from a particular address.

Typical drive times

About how long does it take to get where people go?

Work destinations are selected from observed resident job flows. These are broad, reviewed planning ranges from representative parts of Mercer Island—not live-traffic or door-to-door predictions.

Starting area
Downtown Seattle employment core

Seattle is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Mercer Island, representing 42% of matched resident jobs from this city.

25–50 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Downtown Bellevue employment core

Bellevue is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Mercer Island, representing 12% of matched resident jobs from this city.

20–40 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Mercer Island employment area

Mercer Island is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Mercer Island, representing 8% of matched resident jobs from this city.

5–20 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Overlake employment core

Redmond is a LODES-selected resident workplace destination for Mercer Island, representing 7% of matched resident jobs from this city.

30–60 minWeekday morning peak
Details

Local arterial-dominant corridor: distance converted with a reviewed 1.40x circuity factor and an assumed 28 km/h peak-effective / 42 km/h off-peak effective speed, then widened and rounded to a broad band. The morning inbound peak is shown; the evening outbound return is assumed to fall within the same broad band.

Method, review date, and sources

Planning estimate; actual time varies by departure time, route, traffic, weather, incidents, and closures.

Estimates are derived from reviewed origin/destination coordinates using a documented distance-to-time heuristic (circuity factor and assumed effective speed by corridor type and period), then deliberately widened and rounded to a broad band. No live routing or traffic API was called.

Estimates reviewed 2026-09-10. Starting point: selected representative area.

City boundary and regional context● nearby   ● work destinations
Daily life

Community institutions and local activity

Public schools, libraries, pharmacies, and listed everyday places show part of the local inventory inside Mercer Island; taxable sales show the scale and direction of local commercial activity. Residents also use places across city lines, so a boundary count is not the same as access.

Local field guide

Places for everyday needs in Mercer Island

Care, errands, food, fitness, and personal services gathered into one browsable directory.

Hospitals0 in cityFind nearby
Explore all hospitals near Mercer IslandOpen
Clinics and urgent care7 listedView all
Alisha Wang, MdMapCenter For Anxiety And DepressionMapDr. Danette S. Glassy, MdMapElizabeth EvansMapLice Knowing YouMapMercer Island PediatricsMapSwedish Express Care At Walgreens BothellMapExplore all clinics and urgent care in MapsOpen
Pharmacies7 listedView all
Cvs Pharmacy #116513023 78TH AVENUE SOUTHEAST · MERCER ISLAND SHOPPING CENTER · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-2822MapLongs Drug Store #5318441 SE 68TH ST · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-5235MapMercer Island Pharmacy2703 76TH AVE SE · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-2735MapQfc Pharmacy #8068421 SE 68TH ST · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-5235MapRite Aid Pharmacy 040658441 SOUTHEAST 68TH STREET · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-5235MapSavon Pharmacy2755 77TH AVE SE · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-2811MapWalgreens #037337707 SE 27TH ST · MERCER ISLAND, WA 98040-2844MapExplore all pharmacies in MapsOpen
Coffee6 listedView all
Island Crust CafeMapSano CafeMapShawn's Cafe and BakeryMapStarbucksMapStarbucks Coffee CompanyMapTully's Coffee Drive ThruMapExplore all coffee in MapsOpen
Fitness16 listedView 8 places
212 Health & FitnessMapBarre Rev LlcMapCamp RichterMapCurves of Mercer IslandMapThe Dailey MethodMapFitness TogetherMapMercer Island CrossFit GymMapMercer Island FitnessMapExplore all fitness in MapsOpen
Groceries6 listedView all
Bente Catering CoMapMetropolitan MarketMapNew Seasons MarketMapOh! ChocolateMapQFCMapQuality Food CenterMapExplore all groceries in MapsOpen
Convenience3 listedView all
ExtraMileMapJacksons Food StoresMapRite AidMapExplore all convenience in MapsOpen
Restaurants41 listedView 8 places
AllisterMapAnise Thai CuisineMapAroi DesuMapBennett's BistroMapConvivial CafeMapThe Crawlspace GastropubMapDalhousie Square, mercer islandMapEl SombreroMapExplore all restaurants in MapsOpen
Salons and barbers23 listedView 8 places
Au Courant Salon & The DEN, POSH Wardrobe ConsultingMapBrow and LashMapChristine Face and Body StudioMapCindy's Beauty SalonMapDesert Rose SalonMapDulce Lash & Skin Lounge Mercer IslandMapEsthetic SocietyMapGreat ClipsMapExplore all salons and barbers in MapsOpen

Counts reflect current directory records associated with the city, not a complete business census or a measure of access. Large categories show a sample.

Sources: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), snapshot 2026-08-13; Overture Maps Foundation, release 2026-08-19.0; U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (NPPES NPI Registry), snapshot 2026-09-09.

Public library footprint

Mercer Island Library

Floor area shows the scale of the physical branches. Physical circulation is 2024 checkouts—not visits, unique users, or digital borrowing—and people routinely use libraries across city lines.

Branch floor area
14,886 sq ft

All matched branches must report floor area before a city total is shown.

Physical checkouts
165,914

Annual branch activity; not limited to city residents. All matched branches must report before a city total is shown.

Mercer Island LibraryKing County Library System
14,886 sq ft165,914 physical checkouts47 scheduled hours/week

Source: Washington State Library public-library statistics, 2024. System-wide visits, digital circulation, and program attendance cannot be assigned honestly to one branch, so they are not folded into these city totals.

Education footprint

The schools inside Mercer Island.

Institution counts and enrollment will remain separate. A school can serve students from outside the city, and residents may attend a school across the boundary or elsewhere in their district.

Public elementary4
  • Island Park Elementary SchoolMercer Island School District
  • Lakeridge Elementary School (Mercer Island)Mercer Island School District
  • Northwood Elementary School (Mercer Island)Mercer Island School District
  • West Mercer Elementary SchoolMercer Island School District
Public middle1
  • Islander Middle SchoolMercer Island School District
Public high1
  • Mercer Island High SchoolMercer Island School District
Other public programs0

None in the current OSPI city-boundary match.

Public-school names and levels come from OSPI. Private schools, complete IPEDS college coverage, enrollment by level, and graduate destinations are active additions; absence here should not yet be read as “none.”

Retail role

Mercer Island records relatively little retail activity for its population.

Retail sales per resident fall below 68% of the cities tracked by Metroscope. That may mean residents rely more on nearby cities for shopping, but sales records alone cannot prove where they shop.

Retail sales per resident, 2024
$7,705

Higher than 32% of 82 tracked cities.

Change from 2023
+0.3%

Nominal retail-sales change; inflation can account for some or all of an increase.

See the underlying sales totals
Retail trade, 2024
$199.3M

Sales reported by businesses classified in retail trade.

All taxable sales
$748.0M

Includes taxable activity outside retail trade.

Retail share
27%

Retailing industries’ share of all taxable sales.

Tracked-city median
$10,670

Median retail sales per resident across cities with comparable data.

Civic life

In Mercer Island, the council—not the mayor—hires the person who runs City Hall.

Mercer Island voters elect the council, which hires a professional city manager to run administration. The mayor is selected from the council, so executive oversight works through the council rather than a separately elected chief executive.

Government form
Council–Manager

The elected council hires and oversees the city manager.

Mayor listed
Check directory

Generally selected from the council—not a separately elected executive.

Council representatives listed
7

Current directory entries; vacancies or updates can make this differ from authorized seats.

Incorporated
1960

Code city under Washington law.

Where decisions happen

When does the Mercer Island council meet?

Regular meeting schedule listed in the current municipal directory:

1st & 3rd Tue - 5:00pm

Schedules change and special meetings are separate. Check the city site for the live agenda, staff reports, public-comment rules, and video.

Official city site ↗Current officials directory ↗
Election record

Where to check Mercer Island election results.

Regular municipal offices generally return in 2027. Special measures can appear earlier, and charter provisions can differ.

The next data step is city-specific turnout, contested-seat share, ballot measures, and campaign money. Until those are normalized, Metroscope links the official record instead of guessing from partisan elections.

Structure, meetings, and current officials: Municipal Research and Services Center of Washington (MRSC), checked 2026-09-08. Election administration and certified results: the county election offices listed above. Confirm live agendas and officeholders at the source.

Change

What is changing the city’s trajectory?

Population and jobs do not always move together. Reading both helps distinguish a growing employment center from a city whose households are increasingly tied to opportunities elsewhere.

Residents
25,870

0% more from 2021 to 2026

Local jobs
7,857

16% more from 2018 to 2023

Retail trade, 2023–2024
+0.3%

Nominal taxable-sales change; not adjusted for inflation.

Data & details — selected comparable metrics across 82 places
Local jobs
LODES
7,857
1,506656,821
Higher than only 41% of places
Long-run job change
LODES
+28%
−3%+166%
Higher than only 33% of places
Weekday transit departures
GTFS snapshot
1,472
19256,385
Higher than only 33% of places
Multifamily permitting
Census BPS
Near a 15-year low
Recent annual pace compared with this city's own 2010–2025 record
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD, county-level
$2,549
FY2027 HUD program benchmark; chart shows FY2020–FY2027 history. Shared across this HUD metro area—not a place-specific market rent.
Work — sector breakdown
Share of local jobs by sector · LODES · workplace location, not resident industry
Healthcare & Social Assistance19% (1,500)
Education (includes academia/research)14% (1,095)
Professional Services (partial technology proxy)11% (891)
Hospitality9% (691)
Retail9% (678)
Construction / Real Estate8% (642)
Other8% (591)
Administrative & Support Services7% (569)
Finance6% (482)
Information (partial technology proxy)3% (266)
Government (Public Administration)3% (223)
Logistics / Industrial2% (158)
Manufacturing (includes, but is not limited to, aerospace)1% (71)
Where Mercer Island's workforce lives (inbound)
LODES OD — commuting flows into local jobs
Seattle
28.4%
Mercer Island
14.9%
Bellevue
8.7%
Renton
4.7%
Kirkland
3.8%