VetTheHome/King County Data/Contamination proximity
King County · original aggregate data

Homes near an active cleanup site in King County, by city

As of September 2026, 41% of homes — about 247,280 of the 607,268 on record across the 45 King County cities VetTheHome tracks — are homes within a half-mile of an active Washington Ecology cleanup site, per public records aggregated by VetTheHome.

Updated September 2026 · refreshed weekly

Share of homes within a half-mile of an active Washington Ecology cleanup site. By city.

#CityHomes on recordWithin ½ mi of an active cleanup site
1Pacific1,99186%
2Seattle198,86572%
3Hunts Point19665%
4Shoreline17,46060%
5Seatac6,57057%
6Tukwila5,30252%
7Burien14,54244%
8Federal Way23,51943%
9Des Moines8,76841%
10Mercer Island7,85732%
11Renton39,27332%
12Kirkland24,71631%
13Baring25130%
14Normandy Park2,54828%
15Auburn28,07227%
16Carnation3,12226%
17Bellevue34,47126%
18Preston12025%
19Clyde Hill1,13623%
20Bothell7,21322%
21Maple Valley12,89521%
22Newcastle4,01921%
23Algona1,21420%
24Fall City1,90619%
25Covington7,37318%
26Medina1,25618%
27Enumclaw8,44017%
28Kent34,19817%
29Lake Forest Park5,05217%
30Woodinville10,93115%
31Issaquah12,35415%
32Vashon5,43814%
33Snoqualmie5,45014%
34Kenmore7,54011%
35Ravensdale1,4078.7%
36Black Diamond4,2738.1%
37Yarrow Point4377.8%
38Redmond22,9047.4%
39Skykomish5377.1%
40Sammamish21,6116.2%
41North Bend6,1936.1%
42Duvall5,1741.4%
43Milton4510.7%
44Beaux Arts1220.0%
45Snoqualmie Pass1010.0%

A home is counted when the nearest active Washington Department of Ecology cleanup site lies within a half-mile (2,640 feet) of the parcel. We use a half-mile because that is the approximate minimum search distance ASTM E1527-21 (Table 2) sets for state cleanup, leaking-storage-tank, and brownfield records in a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment. “Active” means the site is on Ecology’s Contaminated Sites List — awaiting or undergoing cleanup or investigation — and excludes sites moved to the No Further Action list and bare registered storage tanks. This is an area screening indicator, not a determination about any individual property: proximity alone does not establish that a home is affected. Verify any specific record on Ecology’s “What’s In My Neighborhood” tool (apps.ecology.wa.gov/neighborhood) or its Cleanup and Tank Search.

Sources: Washington State Dept. of Ecology — Toxics Cleanup Program (Contaminated Sites List); ASTM E1527-21 (Phase I Environmental Site Assessment search distances); King County GIS parcel records. Compiled and refreshed weekly by VetTheHome. Aggregate covers the 45 King County cities in our dataset; see the full methodology.

What this means for buyers

Proximity to a listed cleanup site is context, not a verdict. Under the ASTM E1527-21 environmental-assessment standard, a nearby listing is not by itself evidence that any specific home is contaminated. This figure counts homes near a site that is still on Washington Ecology’s active Contaminated Sites List — awaiting or undergoing cleanup or investigation — and excludes sites cleared to “No Further Action.” A higher share reflects an area’s industrial and commercial history; always check an individual address against Ecology’s own records before drawing any conclusion about a specific property.

Check any King County address

More King County data

About this data

These are aggregate figures compiled from Washington public records for general information — estimates and counts, not appraisals, inspections, or legal advice. The county roll-up covers the cities in our dataset and excludes unincorporated areas; individual parcels are reported at the address level. Public records contain errors — found one? Email corrections@vetthehome.com.