Carnation, WA

Set along the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers, Carnation offers a quiet, small-town lifestyle surrounded by green pastures and forest. With a population of around 2,200, it feels genuinely rural, yet sits within a reasonable commute to Eastside job centers like Redmond. Originally known as Tolt, the town eventually took its current name from the famous Carnation dairy farm and has held onto that relaxed, agricultural character ever since.

ATTRWalter Siegmund (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0

Local kids attend schools in the Riverview School District, and weekends here are usually spent outdoors. Remlinger Farms is a beloved local favorite for family outings, seasonal festivals, and fresh produce, while nearby parks and trails offer easy access to hiking, fishing, and kayaking. If you want acreage, mountain views, and a friendly community away from the traffic of larger suburbs, Carnation is well worth a look.