Neighborhoods near Thunder Mountain Middle School in Enumclaw, WA

Newaukum’s thick forests and rolling farmlands sit between Auburn in the north and Enumclaw in the south, with roaring rivers on each side. The rural area is interspersed with residential properties and incorporates part of the Muckleshoot Reservation, which is home to over 3,100 Muckleshoot Indian Tribe members. “It’s a small community, but we’re

As family farms replace high-rise buildings from the "Emerald City," Green Valley – Green River marks the beginning of Washington's rural landscape. About 30 miles south of Seattle, this river valley in Auburn was a thoroughfare for dairy farms, coal mines and clay fields in the 1800s. With conservation projects by King County, the Green Valley

The Pierce County community of Lake Tapps offers homebuyers the modern practicality of Northwest Washington suburban living, while being close to nature. Much of the area is forested, and there are views of Mount Rainier, the largest stratovolcano in the Cascade Mountain Range. Lake Tapps is about 20 miles east of Tacoma and 40 miles south of

About 40 miles southeast of Seattle, Boise–Osceola offers pastoral living with farmhouses and equestrian properties in the foothills of a coveted national park. "There are dairy farms, horses and all kinds of agriculture," says Melissa Hudson, Real Estate Broker with Keller Williams Mountains to Sound Realty. "It's definitely rural. People like it

Northeast of the decorated local establishments on Main Street, Birch is a spacious mountain community on the edge of Enumclaw. With plots of farmland and a short drive to events in the town center, Birch seemingly accommodates a variety of lifestyles in a rustic neighborhood roughly 45 miles south of Seattle. “It’s Main Street USA with

The sound of rushing water from the Green River is heard throughout Kanaskat, a deeply rural area about 6 miles southeast of Ravensdale and roughly 11 miles north of Enumclaw. Residential properties are dotted throughout the neighborhood’s thick forests. “People interested in the rural lifestyle like to come live out here. There’s no traffic and a

Set in the Cascade foothills within sight of Mount Rainier, Enumclaw maintains its rural feel even as it’s become a bedroom community for Tacoma and Seattle. “We’re still a town that has the homecoming parade downtown, and everybody turns out for it," says Todd Huizenga, a broker with Keller Williams Mountains to Sound Realty who grew up in the

Over 100 years ago, Veazie, a community in south King County, was a small town. The coming of the railroads, plus the timber industry, mining and homesteading, led to the development of the area in the late 19th century. The company Veazie & Russell Logging gave the former town its name. It's in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and remains

Krain-Wabash is an area of King County that developed during the 1880s to early 20th century. Small towns like Krain and Wabash grew as European immigrants — from countries like Slovenia — settled in the area to work in farming, mining and the logging industry. Today, the area remains rural, with some agriculture. "There's a lot of spaced-out