If you’re a tech employee deciding between Sammamish and Issaquah, this page compares the two cities on five things you can check: price, property tax rate, HOA dues, home type, and commute route. Figures come from NWMLS September 2026 medians, Freddie Mac’s October 8, 2026 average rate, and King County’s 2026 levy rate reports. Written by Odigo Real Estate Club (Peter J Kim & John Kim, REAL Brokerage). Updated October 2026. Medians are backdrop, not a quote for any address.
| Factor | Sammamish | Issaquah | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 levy rate | $8.46913 per $1,000 | $8.29982 per $1,000 | King County Assessor |
| NWMLS map area (Sept 2026) | 540 East of Lake Sammamish | 500 East Side-South of I-90 | NWMLS Breakouts |
| House median | $1,300,000 (107 sales, −12.63% YoY) | $1,418,919 (46 sales, −12.14%) | NWMLS Breakouts |
| Condo median | $530,000 (21 sales) | $490,000 (12 sales) | NWMLS Breakouts |
| Months of inventory (house + condo) | 3.85 | 5.83 | NWMLS Breakouts |
| HOA dues | Common in planned neighborhoods and all condos | Common in planned communities such as Issaquah Highlands and all condos | Verify per property |
| Home | Price input (NWMLS, Sept 2026) | 20% down | Principal & interest at 7.40% | Property tax / mo (2026 rate) | P&I + tax | Still to add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sammamish house | $1,300,000 area 540 residential median | $260,000 | $7,201 | $917 (Sammamish $8.46913/$1,000) | $8,118 | Insurance, upkeep; HOA only if the plat has one |
| Sammamish condo | $530,000 area 540 condo median | $106,000 | $2,936 | $374 (Sammamish $8.46913/$1,000) | $3,310 | HOA dues, HO-6 insurance, parking if not included |
| Issaquah house | $1,418,919 area 500 residential median | $283,784 | $7,859 | $981 (Issaquah $8.29982/$1,000) | $8,840 | Insurance, upkeep; HOA only if the plat has one |
| Issaquah condo | $490,000 area 500 condo median | $98,000 | $2,714 | $339 (Issaquah $8.29982/$1,000) | $3,053 | HOA dues, HO-6 insurance, parking if not included |
Illustrative only, not a loan quote. Assumes a 30-year fixed loan with 20% down at Freddie Mac’s 7.40% national average (week of October 8, 2026); every $100,000 borrowed is about $692 a month in principal and interest. Your rate, loan type, and costs will differ. Tax uses each city’s 2026 levy rate times the median price as a stand-in for assessed value; rates vary within cities. NWMLS “residential” excludes condos. NWMLS map areas don’t match city or neighborhood lines exactly, so treat medians as backdrop and price the actual address.
Compare price, property tax rate, HOA dues, home type, and commute route. On NWMLS September 2026 medians at Freddie Mac’s 7.40% average with 20% down, principal, interest, and property tax run about $8,118 a month for a $1,300,000 house in map area 540 (East of Lake Sammamish) versus about $8,840 for a $1,418,919 house in area 500 (East Side-South of I-90, which includes Issaquah), before HOA dues and insurance. Then drive your route to the office at your real start time. We don’t recommend areas for any other reason.
In NWMLS map area 540, 107 houses closed in September 2026 at a $1,300,000 median, down 12.63% from a year earlier, and 21 condos closed at a $530,000 median. In area 500, 46 houses closed at a $1,418,919 median, down 12.14%, and 12 condos at $490,000. The condo figures rest on small samples. King County’s 2026 levy reports show a median residential assessed value of $1,779,000 in the Sammamish report and $1,390,000 in the Issaquah report; assessed value isn’t a sale price.
Their 2026 rates are close: $8.46913 per $1,000 of assessed value in Sammamish and $8.29982 in Issaquah. On the same $1,300,000 price, that is a difference of about $18 a month. Price and home type matter far more: a median Sammamish condo runs about $3,310 a month in principal, interest, and tax, versus about $8,118 for the median house. Check the exact parcel’s tax statement before you offer.
Add the dues to the monthly number before you compare areas. The property tax gaps in the table are often smaller than one month of condo or townhome dues, so HOA dues, reserves, and any special assessment can decide which home actually costs less. For a condominium resale, Washington law (RCW 64.90.640) requires a resale certificate covering assessments, the budget, reserves, and pending legal actions; for other associations, ask for the governing documents, budget, and reserve study before you rely on the dues.
Neither city has a Link light rail station in 2026. Issaquah sits on I-90 toward Bellevue and Seattle; Sammamish connects by local arterials to I-90 to the south and to SR-520 and Redmond to the north. Microsoft Redmond commuters can reach the 2 Line at Redmond Technology, Overlake Village, Marymoor Village, or Downtown Redmond. Drive time depends on the exact address and hour, so we don’t publish citywide minutes; drive the route at your real start time.
It’s cooling, not collapsing. Combined months of inventory in September 2026 were 3.85 in area 540 and 5.83 in area 500, and house medians in both areas were about 12% below a year earlier, partly reflecting which homes sold. Freddie Mac’s 30-year average was 7.40% on October 8, 2026, versus 6.30% a year earlier.
Not reliably. Levy rates vary within each city, and utility, jurisdiction, and school district boundaries don’t always follow a city or neighborhood name on a listing; if that matters to you, research it yourself through official sources such as OSPI’s Washington State Report Card, because we don’t rank schools or recommend areas based on them. For taxes, look up the exact parcel with the County Assessor.
Odigo Real Estate Club is a King and Snohomish County real estate team led by Peter J Kim and John Kim, who personally handle transactions, with 25+ years combined experience. Brokerage: REAL Brokerage. Office: 16108 Ash Way, Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98087 · (425) 409-3823. Hours: Monday–Saturday 9 AM–6 PM, closed Sunday. Tech employees can start with the Ridiculous Tech Package at odigotechpackage.com.
Bring your office address, your payment ceiling, and the home type you want, and we’ll price real Sammamish and Issaquah addresses against them with the Ridiculous Tech Package. Call Odigo Real Estate Club at (425) 409-3823 (Monday–Saturday 9 AM–6 PM). Related: Link Light Rail Tech Buyer FAQ (October 2026) and our condo HOA checklist.
Odigo Real Estate Club · REAL Brokerage · 16108 Ash Way, Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98087 · (425) 409-3823 · Monday–Saturday 9 AM–6 PM, closed Sunday. Equal Housing Opportunity. Figures are general education, not a loan offer, appraisal, or tax advice.