Is Issaquah Highlands the Right Place to Buy If You Work at Costco or Eastside Tech in 2026?

Issaquah Highlands is often the right buy if you already work at Costco’s Issaquah headquarters or commute I-90 to Bellevue and Redmond and want a master-planned neighborhood with Grand Ridge Plaza and a 1,000-stall park-and-ride — while Issaquah’s citywide prices sit below Redmond and Kirkland because the city mixes condos, townhomes, and hillside houses.

Redfin’s three-month median sale price ending July 2026 was $1,034,482 in Issaquah (−6.0% year over year), with a median $509 per square foot and 18 days on market. That citywide median is not “the Highlands price.” Realtor.com recently showed an Issaquah Highlands median listing price of $1,125,000. Treat the Highlands as its own submarket.

Peter Kim of Odigo Real Estate Club (WA License #112064) works with Costco, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Meta employees in King County. Odigo Real Estate Club (16108 Ash Way, Suite 201, Lynnwood, WA 98087) already has a generic Issaquah agency page; this is Highlands vs. the rest of Issaquah for people who already work here.

Highlands vs the rest of Issaquah vs nearby Eastside

Factor: What you are buying · Issaquah Highlands: Master-planned streets, townhomes and SFH, Grand Ridge Plaza · Issaquah citywide: Mix of Olde Town, valley, Talus/Squak, Providence Point, Highlands · Redmond: Microsoft campus city · Kirkland: Lake Washington city

Factor: Price (sourced) · Issaquah Highlands: Realtor.com median *listing* $1,125,000 · Issaquah citywide: Redfin median *sale* $1,034,482 (Jul 2026 window) · Redmond: Redfin $1,324,337 · Kirkland: Redfin $1,314,342

Factor: Median days on market (city) · Issaquah Highlands: — · Issaquah citywide: 18 · Redmond: 19 · Kirkland: 18

Factor: Sale-to-list (city) · Issaquah Highlands: — · Issaquah citywide: 98.6% · Redmond: 97.9% · Kirkland: 98.3%

Factor: Costco HQ (999 Lake Drive) · Issaquah Highlands: Local Issaquah drive · Issaquah citywide: Local · Redmond: Eastside drive · Kirkland: Eastside drive

Factor: Microsoft / Bellevue · Issaquah Highlands: I-90 west; Park & Ride bus options · Issaquah citywide: I-90 · Redmond: In-city / 2 Line · Kirkland: I-405 / SR-520

Factor: Light rail today · Issaquah Highlands: None in Issaquah · Issaquah citywide: None · Redmond: 2 Line · Kirkland: None

Factor: Schools · Issaquah Highlands: Issaquah School District (verify address; Clark and Grand Ridge elementaries serve parts of the Highlands) · Issaquah citywide: Issaquah School District · Redmond: LWSD · Kirkland: LWSD

Issaquah’s Redfin Compete Score is 74, in the same band as Redmond. The citywide median is lower because the mix includes condos and age-restricted product (Providence Point listings on realtor.com have sat far below the city median). Do not budget a Highlands house off $1.03 million.

1. Costco headquarters is in Issaquah — the Highlands is one of several right answers

Costco Wholesale’s corporate office is at 999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027 — in the valley, not on the Highlands ridge. If your only commute is HQ, Olde Town, Gilman, Greenwood Point, and central Issaquah can be a shorter drive. The Highlands still fits Costco employees who want planned streets, parks, and Grand Ridge Plaza more than a two-minute HQ hop.

If you or a partner also go to Microsoft, Google, Meta (Bellevue), Amazon (Seattle), or T-Mobile (Factoria), I-90 is the spine. The Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride has 1,000 stalls, EV charging, and bike racks. The community transit page lists Metro/Sound Transit Routes 218 (to downtown Seattle), 269 (Issaquah Transit Center to Overlake, stopping at the Highlands P&R), and 554 (Redmond–Seattle, stopping at the P&R). Confirm live schedules.

Sound Transit’s South Kirkland–Issaquah Link is a future project. As of the May 2026 ST3 update, that line’s opening was pushed to 2050. Do not buy the Highlands in 2026 because of a train that is not here.

2. What “Highlands living” actually is

Issaquah Highlands is a master-planned community on Grand Ridge, above I-90:

• Grand Ridge Plaza (1451 Highlands Dr NE) — more than 50 shops, restaurants, Regal Cinemas, and Dick’s Sporting Goods (plaza / Visit Issaquah).
• Issaquah Alps — Grand Ridge, Cougar, Squak, Tiger. The city brands itself Trailhead City.
• HOA governance — CC&Rs and reserves; older phases need a reserve-study review before you waive it.

Housing runs from condos and townhomes to single-family. Entry product is often a townhome, which is why the citywide median misleads. If you need a four-bedroom detached house, shop the Highlands *and* Talus, Squak, and south Sammamish.

3. Highlands vs Olde Town vs Talus vs south Sammamish

Issaquah Highlands — Planned streets, plaza walkability, Park & Ride, upper-elevation views. Best when you want ridge amenities and I-90.

Olde Town / Gilman / valley — Historic core, closer to Costco HQ and Issaquah Transit Center. Front Street over a master plan.

Talus / Squak Mountain — View lots. Realtor.com recently showed Talus median listings around $1,185,000 and Squak Mountain around $1,295,000.

South Sammamish (Klahanie, Pine Lake) — Issaquah SD for many addresses; more plateau-suburban. Compare if lot size beats the Highlands HOA package.

Redfin’s GreatSchools list includes 10/10 Endeavour, Grand Ridge, and Cedar Trails, and 9/10 Issaquah Valley and Clark. Clark is the Highlands school many buyers ask about. Ratings are not boundaries — verify the parcel.

4. RSUs, Costco compensation, and closing timing

Eastside tech offers still revolve around RSUs: vesting history for qualifying income, tax on share sales used for a down payment, and not pinning a ~18-day listing to a vest two months out. Costco corporate pay is a different stack (salary, bonus, grants by role); the underwriting question is still what is documented W-2 versus equity, and when cash is available.

The Ridiculous Tech Package (odigotechpackage.com) is published for Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Meta, Apple, T-Mobile, Costco, and other Washington companies. It includes up to a 1% commission rebate, RSU guidance, campus-proximity insight, and moving services as stated on that site.

Peter Kim is a Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider with 593+ closed transactions and 122 five-star Zillow reviews. (425) 409-3823.

5. Who should buy in the Highlands in 2026

Start in the Highlands if: you already work at Costco HQ or on I-90, want a planned neighborhood with a plaza and park-and-ride, and will verify HOA health and schools.

Look elsewhere in Issaquah if: you want a two-minute HQ commute, historic downtown, or a hillside lot without plaza living.

Look at Redmond/Kirkland if: Microsoft or Google is daily and you want 2 Line or a Kirkland walk. Issaquah wins on I-90 and (often) entry price versus those ~$1.3M Redfin medians — not on campus adjacency.

FAQ

How much do homes in Issaquah Highlands cost in 2026?

Redfin’s city page does not publish a separate Highlands *sale* median. Issaquah *citywide* sold at $1,034,482 (July 2026 window). Realtor.com showed an Issaquah Highlands median *listing* price of $1,125,000. Homes in this neighborhood typically trade above the cheapest Issaquah condos and below Kirkland/Redmond citywide medians — confirm with live comps.

Is Issaquah cheaper than Redmond for tech workers?

Citywide Redfin medians say yes ($1,034,482 vs. $1,324,337 in the July 2026 window). Product mix drives a lot of that gap. Compare a Highlands townhome to a Redmond townhome, not to Education Hill.

Can I commute from Issaquah Highlands to Microsoft or Amazon without driving the whole way?

You can park at the Issaquah Highlands Park & Ride (1,000 stalls) and use listed Metro/Sound Transit routes toward Overlake, Redmond, and Seattle. There is no Issaquah light rail today. Test the bus against your badge-in time.

Is Issaquah Highlands in Issaquah School District?

Issaquah addresses are in Issaquah School District. Confirm the elementary (Clark, Grand Ridge, and others serve different parts of the ridge) with the district’s locator.

Who is a King County agent for Costco and Eastside tech buyers?

Peter Kim, Odigo Real Estate Club WA License #112064. (425) 409-3823. odigoclub.com.

Sources

• Redfin Issaquah Housing Market (three months ending July 2026): https://www.redfin.com/city/8645/WA/Issaquah/housing-market
• Realtor.com Issaquah / Highlands listing snapshot: https://www.realtor.com/local/market/washington/king-county/issaquah
• Costco corporate office: https://investor.costco.com/resources/investor-contacts/default.aspx (999 Lake Drive, Issaquah, WA 98027)
• Grand Ridge Plaza: https://www.grandridgeplaza.com/ · https://www.visitissaquahwa.com/places/grand-ridge-plaza/
• Issaquah Highlands transit / Park & Ride: https://issaquahhighlands.com/for-residents/amenities/local-transit-options/
• City of Issaquah, Why Issaquah (transit centers, Trailhead City): https://www.issaquahwa.gov/238/Why-Issaquah
• Sound Transit ST3 update (South Kirkland–Issaquah Link timing): https://www.soundtransit.org/get-to-know-us/news-events/news-releases/sound-transit-board-adopts-updated-st3-system-plan
• Ridiculous Tech Package: https://odigotechpackage.com/
• Odigo Issaquah agency page: https://www.odigoclub.com/communities-we-serve/issaquah-real-estate-agency

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