Medina
The most exclusive address on the West Coast
Medina is a 1.43-square-mile city of about 3,000 residents on the western shore of Lake Washington, directly across from downtown Seattle. It is also, by almost any measure, the most internationally recognized billionaire enclave on the West Coast, home to a generation of tech founders, Microsoft and Amazon executives, and Pacific Northwest buyers who chose Medina specifically for what it offers: privacy, west-facing sunset views over Lake Washington, the top-ranked Bellevue School District, and a 98039 ZIP code that holds its value through every market cycle.
If you're considering buying or selling in Medina, the data and context below should help orient you. If you'd like to talk through a specific property or your situation, reach out anytime.
Medina market snapshot
| Metric | Latest |
|---|---|
| Median sale price (Feb 2026) | $5,998,000 |
| Year-over-year price/sf | +43.5% |
| Zillow ZHVI | $4.7M, +5.4% YoY |
| Median days on market | 30 days |
| Sale-to-list ratio | ~98% |
| Effective property tax rate | 0.68% |
Sources: Movoto Medina, Redfin 98039, Zillow Research, NWMLS. Data refreshed quarterly.
Architecture and lots
The housing stock is a deliberate mix. You'll find:
- Mid-century moderns from the 1950s and 60s by regional architects of that era
- Tudor estates, including a 30,000+ square foot compound that anchors the upper waterfront tier
- French chateau and Mediterranean villas, particularly along Overlake Drive
- Northwest contemporary new construction by builders like MN Custom Homes, John Buchan Homes, and Bordner
Median construction year is 1977, but tear-down-and-rebuild activity is steady. Interior lots typically run 0.5 to 1 acre. Waterfront parcels span 1 to 5+ acres with 100 to 300+ feet of Lake Washington frontage. Medina's tree-canopy ordinance is one of the strictest in the region, which is why the neighborhood reads the way it does: generous setbacks, mature Douglas-fir, no McMansion creep on small lots.
Waterfront in Medina
Medina occupies the entire eastern shoreline of Lake Washington from Meydenbauer Bay in the south to Evergreen Point and Fairweather Bay in the north. The orientation is unusual and valuable: every west-facing waterfront lot looks across the lake at the Seattle skyline, the Olympic Mountains, and one of the best sunset exposures in the metro.
Medina Beach Park, attached to City Hall, offers about 50 feet of public sand, a dock, and a swim float.
Schools
Medina is served by the Bellevue School District, which Niche has ranked the #1 school district in Washington for 2026, the third consecutive year (BSD news, October 2025; Niche rankings).
| Level | School | GreatSchools | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Medina Elementary | 8/10 | 92% math, 95% reading proficiency |
| Middle | Chinook Middle School | 8/10 | Top tier in BSD |
| High | Bellevue High School | n/a | US News #10 in WA, 88% ELA / 70% math, 69% AP participation |
Strong private school options nearby include St. Thomas School (Medina, K–8), Three Points Elementary, The Bear Creek School (Redmond), The Bush School (Madison Park), Lakeside School, The Overlake School, Eastside Preparatory, and Bellevue Christian.
Commute times
Medina sits at the western terminus of the SR 520 floating bridge, which makes it one of the strongest commute positions on the entire Eastside.
| Destination | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Downtown Seattle | 8–15 min |
| Microsoft Redmond | 10–15 min |
| Amazon HQ Seattle | 15–25 min |
| Meta Spring District (Bellevue) | 8–12 min |
| Google Kirkland | 12–18 min |
| Downtown Bellevue | 5–10 min |
Wilburton and Bellevue Downtown stations on the 2 Line light rail are about 5 minutes by car. The full 2 Line opened March 28, 2026, putting downtown Seattle 22 minutes away by rail from neighboring Bellevue stations (Sound Transit, March 28, 2026).
Amenities and lifestyle
Overlake Golf & Country Club anchors Medina's social fabric. Invitation-only, with initiation fees around $50,000 and annual dues near $9,600.
Medina Park is a 17-acre community park with two ponds, on- and off-leash dog areas, tennis courts, and bocce. Wells Medina Nursery is a 5-acre regional destination.
Old Bellevue, the Bellevue Collection, and downtown Bellevue's restaurant scene are all minutes away.
Why buyers are choosing Medina in 2026
Three drivers are pulling buyers into Medina right now:
- California outmigration. California buyers continue to relocate north, and Medina specifically is a top-three destination for buyers seeking privacy, no state income tax (until 2028; see my market update on Washington's tax changes), and Bellevue School District access.
- Light rail. The full 2 Line opened in March 2026, materially shortening transit times to Seattle and tying the Eastside into the regional rail network for the first time.
- Continued tech wealth concentration. Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, Google, and a growing list of mid-cap and pre-IPO companies continue to push UHNW buyers toward the Bellevue waterfront and Medina specifically.
What homes sell for in Medina
| Tier | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Interior off-water (~0.3 acre lots) | $3.5M – $5.5M |
| Mid-tier waterfront with private dock | $15M – $30M |
| Trophy waterfront (multi-acre, premium architecture) | $40M – $130M+ |
A few reference points: in 2018, 7887 Overlake Drive West sold for $26.75M, then a NWMLS record. In March 2025, a Medina midcentury modern listed at $4.9M. A 30,000+ sf Tudor compound on the Medina waterfront was acquired in 2010 for $45M and continues to be held by its owner despite a 2023 relocation to Florida (GeekWire).
Property taxes in Medina
Medina was one of only three jurisdictions in King County with a property tax decrease for 2025. The effective rate is approximately 0.68%, well below the King County median of 0.99%. The median annual tax bill comes to roughly $27,962.
Most of the bill is the Bellevue School District 405 levy at about $1.92 per $1,000 of assessed value.
Thinking of buying or selling in Medina?
Medina is one of the markets I focus on most closely. Whether you're looking at a specific listing, planning a sale, or just want to understand where the market is heading, I'd be glad to help.
Wendy Klinker | Windermere Real Estate Get in touch to talk specifics.
Sources
- Movoto Medina market trends: median sale price, days on market
- Redfin 98039 housing market: price-per-sf trends, sale-to-list
- Zillow Research: ZHVI home value index
- Niche Bellevue School District rankings: #1 in WA, 2026
- Bellevue School District news: third consecutive year ranking
- Sound Transit, 2 Line opening: March 28, 2026 full line opening
- GeekWire, Jeff Bezos Hunts Point sale: La Haye estate, Medina
Market data refreshed quarterly. Last updated: May 2026