Relocating to Seattle for Amazon Microsoft Google
Relocating to the Seattle Area for Amazon, Microsoft, or Google? Here's Where to Actually Live
The answer has changed more than most people realize. Here is what I would tell you today and why it is different from what I would have said five years ago.
You just accepted an offer at Amazon, Microsoft, or Google. You are relocating to Greater Seattle and you have no idea where to start looking for a home. So you search online, you see a dozen different answers, and none of them feel grounded in how this market actually works right now.
Here's what I would actually tell you. And I want to be clear upfront: the answer I give today is different from the answer I would have given five years ago. This market has shifted, and the advice needs to shift with it.
The Answer Has Changed
Not long ago, the employer-to-neighborhood map was fairly straightforward around here. Microsoft meant Redmond. Amazon meant North Seattle: Magnolia, Queen Anne, Greenlake, Shoreline. Google meant Fremont or Kirkland.
Some of that still holds. But the biggest shift is what has happened in Bellevue. That city has changed the calculus for almost every tech worker relocating to this region, regardless of which campus they are heading to.
- Microsoft: Look in Redmond
- Amazon: North Seattle, Magnolia, Queen Anne
- Google: Fremont or Kirkland
- Microsoft: Start in Bellevue
- Amazon: Start in Bellevue
- Google: Kirkland still, or Bellevue
Relocating for Microsoft
Microsoft Redmond Campus
Microsoft's main campus sits in Redmond, and Redmond is still a perfectly reasonable place to live if your priority is the shortest possible commute. But Redmond as the default answer for Microsoft employees has quietly become outdated advice.
Bellevue has grown into a genuine tech hub in its own right, with lower taxation than Seattle, a downtown that has matured significantly, and a location that puts you on I-405 with good options in multiple directions. The Redmond to Bellevue light rail connection changes the commute picture meaningfully too. You do not have to drive to campus every day from Bellevue anymore.
My neighbor is a perfect example of this. He works at Microsoft and lives in Bothell which he chose after moving from Duvall. His commute is a little longer than it would be from Redmond, but what he found in Bothell was a combination of affordability, appreciation, and community that made the extra drive time worth it. The home he bought a few years ago has appreciated well. That is not an accident. That is what happens when you pick a market on its way up rather than one that has already fully priced in its desirability.
Relocating for Amazon
Amazon Bellevue and Seattle Campuses
Amazon's footprint in Greater Seattle has shifted. The company's Bellevue campus has grown substantially, and for many Amazon employees the old assumption that working for Amazon meant living in North Seattle no longer reflects where the work actually is. If your team is in Bellevue, living in Bellevue or nearby on the Eastside is the obvious answer.
Even for employees working at the South Lake Union campus in Seattle, the Eastside deserves a serious look. SR-520 across Lake Washington puts Kirkland, Bellevue, and nearby communities within striking distance of Seattle, and the price difference between comparable homes in North Seattle and comparable homes in Bothell or Kenmore is meaningful enough to factor into any honest housing conversation.
The days of Amazon equaling North Seattle as a reflex recommendation are behind us. The company is too distributed across the region now for that to be accurate advice.
Relocating for Google
Google Kirkland Campus
Kirkland is the one recommendation that has not changed much. Google's Kirkland campus puts you in a situation where living in Kirkland itself makes genuine sense the waterfront, the downtown dining scene, the access to Lake Washington. It is a legitimately great place to live and the commute logic supports it clearly.
That said, Kirkland's price points have moved significantly. If Kirkland feels stretched for your budget, Woodinville to the east gives you similar Eastside lifestyle with a slightly different character: wine country, more space, a quieter pace, at a price point that is often more accessible. Bothell sits just north of both and is worth a look for the same reasons, with the added benefit of a market that has been appreciating well and may have more room to run than Kirkland at its current prices.
Why Bellevue Is the Answer for Both Amazon and Microsoft Right Now
Let me say this directly because it is the clearest shift in my thinking over the past few years.
Bellevue has become a tech city in its own right. It is not a bedroom community for Seattle anymore. The companies growing there will continue to grow there. The taxation environment in Bellevue is more favorable than Seattle. The downtown has matured into something genuinely compelling. And the transit infrastructure is improving in ways that reduce the dependency on driving for daily commutes.
For tech workers relocating from California or New York, Bellevue also tends to feel more familiar than Seattle in terms of energy and density. It is a city that is building rather than one that is managing existing growth, and that creates a different kind of momentum that shows up in property values over time.
The honest trade: Bellevue prices reflect all of that. You are paying for a market that has already recognized its own trajectory. If you want value relative to where things are heading rather than where they already are, you need to look one step further out.
Relocating to Greater Seattle and Not Sure Where to Start?
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Talk to Aaron See Current PricesIf Bellevue Is Not Your Vibe
Bellevue is not for everyone. And that is fine. Here is what I would say about that.
If you want the lifestyle that Bellevue offers in terms of Eastside access and commute logic, but you want something that feels less urban and more rooted in community, Kirkland and Woodinville are the next conversations to have. Kirkland gives you waterfront access and a downtown that feels lived-in rather than recently constructed. Woodinville gives you wine country fifteen minutes from work and a pace that the Pacific Northwest is supposed to feel like.
Both of those markets connect well to the Bellevue and Redmond campuses via I-405 and the surface roads that locals learn quickly. They also both connect to Bothell, which sits just north and deserves more attention from relocating tech workers than it typically gets in the initial search.
The Bothell Case: A Neighbor's Story
I was talking to my neighbor yesterday. He works at Microsoft. He and his family moved to Bothell from Duvall a few years ago, and his commute is a little longer than it would be from Redmond. He chose Bothell anyway.
What he found here was affordability relative to the Eastside core, a community that felt like somewhere rather than a placeholder, and a home that has appreciated well in the time they have owned it. He did not pick Bothell because it was the path of least resistance. He picked it because when he ran the real numbers on purchase price, appreciation, commute cost, and quality of life, it made sense in a way that closer-in options did not.
That is the Bothell case for tech workers who are willing to have an honest conversation about what matters most. It is not the shortest commute to Redmond. It is not the flashiest address on the Eastside. But it is a market with real appreciation, real community, and a lifestyle that the Pacific Northwest promises and Bothell actually delivers. And it is still priced below the Eastside core in a way that gives buyers room to build equity rather than just paying for what everyone else has already recognized.
The Light Rail Factor
The Redmond to Bellevue light rail connection changes the commute math for tech workers living on the Eastside. If your campus is in Redmond or Bellevue, living in Kirkland, Bothell, or other nearby communities and commuting via light rail on days when you do not need a car becomes a realistic option. This is not a future promise. It is infrastructure that is reshaping how Eastside commutes work right now. Factor it into your neighborhood decision before you assume that proximity to campus is the only variable that matters.
If you are relocating to Greater Seattle for Amazon or Microsoft in 2026, start your housing search in Bellevue. The city has earned that recommendation through real growth, real infrastructure, and a trajectory that the market has recognized. If Bellevue's price points are stretching your budget or its urban energy is not what you are looking for, Kirkland, Woodinville, and Bothell all offer compelling alternatives with different tradeoffs on price, community, and commute. The right answer depends on how you actually want to live here, not just where your badge gets you through the door.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I live if I am relocating to Seattle for Microsoft?
For Microsoft employees relocating to Greater Seattle in 2026, Bellevue is the primary recommendation. The city has grown into a tech hub in its own right with lower taxation than Seattle, a strong downtown, and light rail access to the Redmond campus. Kirkland and Woodinville are strong alternatives for employees who want Eastside access with a different lifestyle character. Bothell is worth a serious look for employees who want to balance a longer commute against better affordability and a market that has been appreciating well. Redmond itself remains a solid option for employees who want the shortest possible commute to campus.
Where should I live if I am relocating to Seattle for Amazon?
Amazon's footprint in Greater Seattle now spans both Bellevue and Seattle, making the old default of North Seattle less universally applicable. For employees working at Amazon's Bellevue campus, living in Bellevue or nearby Eastside communities like Kirkland, Bothell, or Kenmore makes strong sense. For employees at the South Lake Union Seattle campus, the Eastside still deserves consideration given the SR-520 connection across Lake Washington and the meaningful price differences between comparable homes in North Seattle versus the Eastside. The right answer depends heavily on which campus and which team you are joining.
Is Bothell a good place to live for Microsoft or Amazon employees?
Bothell is a genuinely strong option for tech workers at Microsoft or Amazon who are willing to trade a shorter commute for better affordability and a market with real appreciation history. Microsoft employees commuting from Bothell are typically 20 to 35 minutes from the Redmond campus depending on traffic and time of day. Amazon employees commuting to Bellevue are in similar range. Bothell's home prices remain below the Eastside core in Bellevue, Kirkland, and Redmond, and the market has appreciated well over the past several years. It is a particularly strong fit for employees on hybrid schedules who are not commuting to campus every day.
Why is Bellevue recommended over Seattle for tech workers now?
Bellevue has become a major tech hub in its own right, with Amazon, Microsoft, and other large employers maintaining significant operations there. The city offers lower taxation than Seattle, a downtown that has matured substantially, and improving transit infrastructure including light rail to Redmond. For tech workers whose campuses are on the Eastside, Bellevue eliminates the Lake Washington crossing that Seattle residents contend with daily. For tech workers relocating from California or New York, Bellevue's energy and density often feel more familiar. The trade is price: Bellevue has recognized its own trajectory and homes there reflect it.
What is the commute like from Bothell to the Microsoft or Amazon campus?
From Bothell, the commute to Microsoft's Redmond campus typically runs 20 to 35 minutes via I-405 South and surface roads depending on traffic. To Amazon's Bellevue campus, it is similar via I-405 South. During peak morning commute hours, add 10 to 20 minutes in either direction. Bothell's location on I-405 gives commuters flexibility to adjust routes based on real-time traffic. For employees on hybrid schedules commuting two or three days per week, most Bothell residents find the commute manageable against the tradeoff of better home value and a neighborhood with strong community character.
Relocating to Greater Seattle and Ready to Figure Out Where to Land?
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