Issaquah, WA Overview Page

"Issaquah" is an anglicized word for a local Native American name, meaning either "the sound of birds", "snake", or "little stream". "Squak Valley", an older name for the area, also derives from this same Native American name.In September 1885, the then-unincorporated area was the scene of an attack on Chinese laborers who had come to pick hops from local fields.

Three of the laborers died from gunshot wounds, and none of the attackers were convicted of any wrongdoing. The city was officially incorporated on April 29, 1892. Initially a small mining town, the city has changed noticeably both in its appearance and economic focus. Issaquah was originally developed to service the mining industry (on the two nearby mountains that now lend their names to the Cougar/Squak Corridor Park), and began as the town of "Gilman".

As the mining deposits neared depletion in the late 1890s, other companies started to realize Issaquah's potential to support a lucrative lumber business. These companies exported timber from Issaquah and other small, local towns to Seattle and larger, rapidly growing communities throughout western Washington.

These early boom industries, however, faded into a period of relative quiet by the time of the Great Depression. The town remained fairly placid through the succeeding decades, with Boeing providing the majority of employment in the area. Microsoft and other technological industries moved into Redmond and other cities in the area, and later established operations in Issaquah itself.

Both Boeing and Microsoft have significantly affected Issaquah's history, cultural development, and diverse population through their active community participation and attraction of outside residents. In June 1996, Costco moved its global headquarters to Issaquah from nearby Kirkland.

• 
  Population

  38,707

• 
  Time Zone

  America/Los_Angeles

• 
  Zip Code

  98029 98027

• Age Median

  9.99%

• Age Under 10

  12.3%

• Age 10 to 19

  11.8%

• Age 20s

  11.1%

• Age 30s

  19.8%

• Age 40s

  16.9%

• Age Over 80

  3.8%

• Male

  47.8%

• Female

  52.2%

• Married

  56.4%

• Divorced

  11.2%

• Never Married

  27.8%

• Widowed

  4.6%

• Family Size

  3

• Family Dual Income

  60.5%

• Home Ownership

  59.9%

• Home Value

  680,099

• Rent Median

  2,095

• Rent Burden Ownership

  27.8%

• Household Median

  122,053

• Household under 5

  1

• Household 5 to 10

  2

• Household 10 to 15

  1

• Household 15 to 20

  2

• Household 20 to 25

  2

• Household 25 to 35

  3

• Household 35 to 50

  6

• Household 50 to 75

  12

• Household 75 to 100

  13

• Household 100 to 150

  20

• Household 150 Over

  38

• Household Six Figure

  58

• Income Individual Median

  62,624

• Less Highschool

  3.9%

• Highschool

  8.9%

• Some College

  20.5%

• Bachelors

  40.1%

• Graduate

  26.6%

• College or Above

  66.7%

• Stem Degree

  58.7%

• White

  63.3%

• Black

  1.7%

• Asian

  24.6%

• Native

  0.2%

• Pacific

  0%

• Others

  4.3%

• Multiple

  5.9%

• Hispanic

  9.5%

• Labor Force Participation

  73.6%

• Unemployment Rate

  3.4%

• Poverty

  7.2%

• Limited English

  4.7%

• Disabled

  6.9%

• Commute Time

  30.5%

• Health Uninsured

  3.7%

• Veterans

  5.7%