Pros and Cons of Living in Burien
Burien's core trade-off pairs genuine affordability, diversity, and airport proximity against a genuinely elevated crime rate and real, ongoing Sea-Tac flight-path noise.
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Learn morePro: genuine affordability and diversity
Burien's citywide housing runs meaningfully below several nearby King County markets, and its genuinely diverse, multicultural community (a 99-out-of-100 diversity score, more than 50 languages spoken among Highline students) is a real, distinct draw.
Pro: real, close Sea-Tac Airport access
At roughly 2 miles from Sea-Tac Airport, Burien offers genuine convenience for frequent air travelers -- a real, practical advantage over markets farther from the airport.
Con: a genuinely elevated overall crime rate
NeighborhoodScout cites an overall crime rate higher than 92% of Washington's own cities and towns -- a real, disclosed concern, driven chiefly by property crime.
Con: real, ongoing Sea-Tac flight-path noise
35-40 turboprops pass directly over parts of Burien under 3,000 feet during north-wind conditions (roughly 35% of the time) -- the same airport proximity that offers convenience also brings real, disclosed noise, which has driven the city to sue the FAA twice.
Key takeaways
- Pro: genuine housing affordability and a real, distinct multicultural community identity.
- Pro: real, close Sea-Tac Airport access for frequent travelers.
- Con: a genuinely elevated overall crime rate, higher than 92% of Washington's own cities and towns.
- Con: real, ongoing Sea-Tac flight-path noise over parts of the city, disclosed honestly rather than downplayed.
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