Bellevue, French for “beautiful view,” is a city in the state of Washington, located in the Eastside of King County, across Lake Washington from Seattle.
Bellevue spans more than 31 square miles between Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish and is only a short drive from the beautiful Cascade Mountains.
Long considered a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, downtown Bellevue has undergone rapid growth and change in recent years. It is currently the second largest city center in Washington and the 6th wealthiest of 522 communities in the state.
Bellevue‘s downtown is filled with modern skyscrapers that seem to hover above Lake Washington and under favorable weather conditions, scenic vistas of the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Mountains can be viewed from hilltops (and strategically-positioned high-rise buildings) within the city. Even with a thriving downtown, Bellevue retains its small-town feel, with woodsy neighborhoods and an abundance of picturesque green spaces.
The population of Bellevue, WA continues to grow and is becoming even more diverse. Approximately one third of Bellevue residents are foreign-born and nearly 50 different languages are now spoken by children in Bellevue public schools. Bellevue is also consistently ranked has having some of the best schools in the country.
In 2008, Fortune Small Business magazine named Bellevue the best place in the country to live and launch a business; Washington CEO magazine named Bellevue “2008 City of the Year;” and CNNMoney recently named Bellevue, WA the 4th best place to live in America!
Bellevue businesses and residents benefit from a progressive, forward-thinking community that offers excellent amenities, an award-winning education system, a growing arts community and a lively downtown.
If you’re in the market to buy Bellevue real estate or thinking about relocating to Bellevue, you will find many residential options to choose from.
Whether you are looking for Bellevue waterfront homes, Bellevue luxury homes, Bellevue single-family homes, Bellevue townhomes or Bellevue condominiums in one of the many beautiful residential neighborhoods, Bellevue has something for every taste, lifestyle and budget!
Neighborhoods in Bellevue include: Bridle Trails, Cherry Crest, Crossroads, Downtown, Eastgate, Enatai, Factoria, Forest Ridge, Kelsey Creek, Lake Hills, Lakemont, Meydenbauer, Newport Hills, Newport Shores, Overlake, Somerset, Sunset, Surrey Downs, Vasa, Vuecrest, Wilburton and Woodridge.
For information about Bellevue homes for sale, selling your existing Bellevue real estate property, Bellevue investment property or property management services in Bellevue, please fill out the online contact form or call VerraTerra at 425.223.4828.
Bellevue, WA Demographics & Education
With a population of about 126,626 as of 2009, Bellevue is the Eastside’s major urban population center. The median resident age in Bellevue, WA is 38.2 years. There are about 62,807 males living in Bellevue and 63,819 females. Bellevue also happens to be an increasingly diverse community. Between 1990 and 2008, Bellevue’s foreign-born population increased from about 13% percent to just over 33%. Bellevue residents are also highly educated. About 59% of the people living in Bellevue 25 years and older have at least a bachelor’s degree and 59% in the workforce have managerial and professional occupations.
Bellevue, WA Geography and Climate
Bellevue is bordered by Kirkland to the north and Redmond to the northeast. Across the East Channel bridge I-90 connects Bellevue to Mercer Island to the southwest. The city is bordered to the west by the suburbs of Medina, Clyde Hill, Hunts Point and Yarrow Point. Bellevue’s south end is bordered by the city of Renton and to the southeast by the city of Newcastle.
Bellevue, WA has a moderate climate. The area gets about 44 inches of rain per year (mostly drizzle) and has about 136 sunny days per year. July’s high is around 76 degrees and January’s low is around 34 degrees.
Bellevue, WA Economy
Bellevue’s strategic location helps fire growth and is home to a font of tech talent, thanks to the Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) campus in nearby Redmond and many former Microsoft talents have launched startups in Bellevue. Because of a recent influx of new jobs from such companies as Microsoft, T-mobile, Verizon and Expedia, Bellevue’s unemployment rate is more than two points below that of the Seattle-metro area. It’s expected that nearly 18,000 more jobs will have become available in Bellevue by the end of 2010.
With Bellevue’s immediate proximity to Redmond and direct highway access to Seattle, the city has become home and headquarters to numerous small and large businesses, many of which are technology companies. Bellevue has several thriving commercial districts, including three major shopping centers. The estimated median household income in Bellevue, WA is about $80,000. The city’s unemployment is around 5.8%.
Bellevue, WA Arts & Entertainment
Bellevue offers outstanding arts and entertainment, including the Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue Botanical garden and the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra. The biennial Bellevue Sculpture Exhibition draws thousands of visitors to the Downtown Park to view artworks from around the country.
Bellevue also hosts an annual jazz festival and is the site of the popular annual Bellevue Arts and Crafts Fair (originally Pacific Northwest Arts and Crafts Fair), held at the end of July.
Colleges/Universities in or near Bellevue, WA
Colleges/universities in Bellevue, WA include: Bellevue College and City University. Other colleges/universities near Bellevue include: Renton Technical College (Renton), Seattle University, Seattle Community Colleges, Art Institute of Seattle and Lake Washington Technical College (Kirkland).
Public Secondary Schools in Bellevue, WA
In 2010, Newsweek ranked 5 Bellevue public high schools in the top 100 public high schools in the nation. Parts of Bellevue are located within the boundaries of Lake Washington School District, Renton School District and Issaquah School District. Secondary public schools in Bellevue include: Chinook Middle School, Highland Middle School, Tyee Middle School, Olde Middle School, Bellevue High School, Interlake High School, Newport High School and Sammamish High School.
Hospitals/Medical Centers in or near Bellevue, WA
Hospitals in Bellevue include: Overlake Hospital Medical Center. Hospital/medical centers near Bellevue include: Group Health Eastside Hospital (Redmond), Swedish Medical Center (Seattle) and Harborview Medical Center (Seattle).
Bellevue, WA Transportation
Bellevue is the main Eastsidehub for both the local transit authority, King County Metro and Sound Transit, the regional transit system. Local buses run into Kirkland, Redmond, Issaquah, Renton, and the University District. Regional buses go to Bothell, Lynnwood, Everett, Seattle, Renton, Kent, Auburn and other cities.
The average one-way commute in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metro Area, WA takes approximately 30 minutes. 72% of Bellevue commuters drive their own car alone, 13% carpool with others and 7% take mass transit. 4% of Bellevue residents work from home.
Bellevue, WA Zip Codes
Zip codes in Bellevue include: 98004, 98005, 98006, 98007, 98008, 98009, 98015
Map of Bellevue, WA
Bellevue Real Estate Property Specialists
VerraTerra is not your ordinary Bellevue real estate Brokerage. Unlike most real estate companies that force you to do things one way or their way, we believe you should have choices to pick and choose what best fits your individual needs. We strive to find new ways to make buying and selling Bellevue real estate more efficient AND less costly for our clients, without sacrificing quality or service.
If you’re looking for Bellevue waterfront homes, Bellevue luxury homes, Bellevue single-family homes, Bellevue townhomes or Bellevue condominiums, or you’re looking to sell your existing Bellevue real estate property, we can take care of all your real estate needs.
If you currently own Bellevue investment property and need property management services, VerraTerra Property Management can take care of tenent placement and monthly management for you.
Our mission is to provide outstanding customer service to all of our clients, while utilizing the best practices and systems available! For more information about VerraTerra real estate services and how we can best serve you, please contact us.
