Burien, Washington Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Burien, WA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Burien | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 47,382 | 7,801,159 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 4234.3 | 109.3 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.61% | 1.21% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 41.1 | 36.2 | 37.3 |
| Households | 17,905 | 3,058,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Burien grew by 15.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 47,382 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Burien is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.4% of residents. That is 1.1 points above Washington as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 8,885 18.8% -2.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 11,567 24.4% +1.1 pts
- Gen X 45–60 10,659 22.5% +3.0 pts
- Boomers 61–79 7,369 15.6% -0.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Washington, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 48.6% of the people living in Burien and men 51.4%.
- Women 48.6% Washington 49.7%
- Men 51.4% Washington 50.3%
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Economy
Burien has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Burien | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $93,761 | $98,224 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.83% | 5.64% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 5.0% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Burien is about 5% lower than in Washington.
Housing
| Metric | Burien | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $771,957 | $485,016 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,774 | $1,759 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 58.5% | 63.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Burien is about 36.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,774 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Burien spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 197 hours, about 8.2 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Burien | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.7 | 22.4 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 47.4 | 44.8 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 197 | 187 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,121 | $5,785 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 18.9% | 19.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 12,051 | 10,119 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,548 | 1,525 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Burien is 24 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in Washington.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Burien has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Burien | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.9% | 35.1% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.60 | 2.50 | 2.53 |
Health
Burien has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Burien | Washington Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 14.3% | 15.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 13.9% | 16.4% | 19.0% |
Burien, WA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Burien, WA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burien, WA | 47,382 | $93,761 #1/2 | $771,957 #2/2 | 23.7 min #2/2 |
| SeaTac, WA | 36,350 | $78,744 | $801,989 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Burien, Washington.
How big is Burien, Washington by population?
About 47,382 people live in Burien, Washington, in 17,905 households of 2.6 people on average. The median age is 41.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 4 years.
Is Burien, Washington urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Burien, Washington has 4,234 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 49 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is Burien, Washington an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 8.2 times the median household income ($771,957 against $93,761), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,774 a month takes about 23% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Burien, Washington?
Unemployment in Burien, Washington is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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