Less  than 30 miles north of Seattle, Everett was built from working-class roots, with industries such as logging, lumber, and aerospace manufacturing at its core. In recent years, the city has enticed an increasingly younger crowd attracted by housing affordability and job opportunities.

“We’re seeing mostly working-age talent in their late 20s to early 40s choosing Everett, including engineers, technicians, and young families,” says Wendy Poischbeg, CEO of the Greater Everett Chamber of Commerce, noting that Snohomish County has more than 196,000 residents between the ages of 25 and 39. “What’s pulling people here is the work itself. Everett’s advanced manufacturing base now sits alongside a growing clean energy and electrified aviation cluster.” Poischbeg names companies such as Helion Energy, ZeroAvia, and TerraPower among the draws. “That concentration of innovators creates real gravity. It attracts younger, technical talent who want to live close to the labs, testing facilities, and flight work happening here—talent that might otherwise default to Seattle or Bellevue.”

Everett’s neighborhoods each have a distinct flair, with an emphasis on independent businesses, which Poischbeg describes as “essential.” There are more than 11,000 active business licenses, most of which are small or micro firms. “You see that depth clearly in the trades alone, with hundreds of electrical, plumbing, HVAC, remodeling, and commercial construction businesses,” she says. “That base creates jobs today and grows into tomorrow’s middle-market employers.”

The downtown area is filled with cultural attractions, including the Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens, the Historic Everett Theater, and the Schack Art Center—as well as restaurants, bars, and independent boutiques. The recently launched monthly series, First Fridays, “turns downtown into a walkable night out with art, music, food, and pop-ups,” says Poischbeg. “Shops stay open late, galleries host quick shows, live music pops up on corners, and restaurants run specials. It feels like a small-city block party you can plan on. First Fridays gives people a reason to linger, not just pass through.”

Formerly an industrial hub, the waterfront has transformed tremendously during the past decade, and is now chock full of places to eat (seafood-forward fare includes Anthony’s, Bluewater Organic Distilling, and Scuttlebutt Brewing), with, according to Poischbeg, “roughly 63,000 square feet of restaurants and retail, 447,500 square feet of office space, two hotels, and up to 660 homes across 65 acres,” still in the works. “The waterfront is part of daily life now,” she says, “and the best is still ahead. We’re turning piers into places.”

Monthly First Friday events celebrate the city’s burgeoning nightlife scene.

Photo by JAKE CAMPBELL

Looking to the future, Everett is on a path to expansion and sustained growth. Nearby Paine Field continues to add commercial flight options, precluding the need to drive to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for every trip, and the Everett Link Extension, expected to start opening new stops around 2037, will add 16 miles and six stations to the already existing network, further connecting the city to the region and improving commuting options. “Everett is adding the access and lifestyle pieces that help companies recruit and retain talent,” says Poischbeg. “The last decade built the bones. The next five years add the life.”

Population: 113,011
School Districts: Everett, Mukilteo
Attractions: Urban Air Adventure Park, Jetty Island, Imagine Children’s Museum, Angel of the Winds Arena (home of the Everett Silvertips), High Trek Adventures, the Everett Philharmonic Orchestra
Community Events: Fisherman’s Village Music Festival, Everett Art Walk, the Everett Farmers Market, Holiday on the Bay
Average Home Sale Price: $565,000 (as of December 2025)

See the full Best Places to Live series here.