Totem Lake Real Estate Agent

Totem Lake market snapshot

Median Sale Price$1,550,000▼ 4.3% YoY

Price / Sq Ft$700▼ 6.5% YoY

Median Days on Market13▲ 116.7% YoY

Sale-to-List98.8%▼ 1.2% YoY

Over the trailing twelve months, the median Totem Lake home sold for about $1,550,000 — down 4.3% from a year earlier. Homes here typically went under contract in about 13 days at roughly 98.8% of list price (around $700/sq ft), reflecting a market easing from its peak toward balance. These rolling 12-month figures (NWMLS, June 2026) cover the broader market area around Totem Lake rather than Totem Lake on its own, so for any specific home it is worth comparing recent sales on that block.

About Totem Lake

Totem Lake sits in northeast Kirkland, near the interchange of Interstate 405 and NE 124th Street, and is one of the city's designated urban centers. King County approved its Urban Center designation in 2003, and under the Puget Sound Regional Council's growth framework it functions as a Regional Growth Center where the city directs a large share of its planned housing and employment growth.

Housing & homes

Housing around Totem Lake spans several eras. The district developed alongside I-405 beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and many surrounding single-family homes and apartment complexes date from that period of growth. Detached houses, townhomes, and condominiums are all present, and the area's role as an urban center has added newer multifamily and mixed-use residential built above and around retail.

The most concentrated recent addition is The Village at Totem Lake, the redevelopment of the former Totem Lake Mall. It reopened in October 2017 as a mixed-use center combining retail, restaurants, office space, and on-site residential units, which broadened the range of for-sale and rental housing types available close to the district's core.

Local conditions to know

Totem Lake takes its name from an actual lake and wetland at the district's center. The site was originally known as Lake Watstine, and the former mall was built on reclaimed wetlands connected to the lake. Today the lake and its surrounding wetland form Totem Lake Park, roughly 17 acres of wetland that the City of Kirkland and the King Conservation District co-manage for habitat, invasive-species removal, and flood control. If you are considering a property near the lake or wetland, it is worth confirming wetland buffers, drainage, and any critical-areas requirements with the city before you buy.

Transit is a defining local factor. The I-405 and Totem Lake freeway station (near NE 128th Street) and the nearby Kingsgate Park & Ride are planned to serve Sound Transit's Stride S2 Line bus rapid transit, with the Bellevue-to-Lynnwood line scheduled to open in 2029. A separate WSDOT project rebuilding the I-405/NE 85th Street interchange with an inline BRT station to the south serves greater downtown Kirkland; its street-level roundabouts opened in 2026, with the interchange anticipated to open to traffic in early 2027.

Getting around & local texture

The Village at Totem Lake anchors the district's business and shopping core, with a cinema, restaurants, and retail alongside offices and homes. Nearby, the EvergreenHealth Kirkland campus, a general hospital that opened in 1972 on NE 128th Street, is a major employer and a cluster of medical offices and clinics. Totem Lake Park provides a boardwalk through the wetland and connects to the Cross Kirkland Corridor, the improved Kirkland segment of the regional Eastrail trail; the elevated Totem Lake Connector bridge, completed in 2023, carries walkers and cyclists over Totem Lake Boulevard and NE 124th Street to link the corridor's two ends.

Totem Lake is served by the Lake Washington School District, which covers Kirkland, Redmond, and part of Sammamish. Attendance areas are assigned by home address, so confirm the specific assigned schools for any property using the district's address lookup and boundary maps.

What buyers & sellers weigh in Totem Lake

The housing mix ranges from older detached homes to new condos and mixed-use units, so comparable pricing depends heavily on property type.
Properties near the lake or wetland may involve critical-areas buffers and drainage rules; verify these with the City of Kirkland before making an offer.
The area is a designated urban center slated for continued growth, so check current zoning and any planned development near a prospective home.
Planned Stride S2 bus rapid transit at the Totem Lake/Kingsgate station (targeted 2029) is a factor to weigh for both buyers and sellers.
Proximity to EvergreenHealth and The Village can be a draw for buyers who value walkable amenities and healthcare access.
Confirm assigned Lake Washington School District schools by exact address, since attendance boundaries are set by location.

What makes Totem Lake distinct

Totem Lake is one of Kirkland's designated urban centers and a PSRC Regional Growth Center, with denser mixed-use development than most surrounding neighborhoods.
It centers on a real lake and wetland (Totem Lake Park) that connects to the Cross Kirkland Corridor and Eastrail regional trail.
The Village at Totem Lake replaced an aging enclosed mall with a mixed-use district combining shops, offices, and housing.
The EvergreenHealth Kirkland hospital campus makes Totem Lake a significant medical and employment hub on the Eastside.
Multiple transit investments converge nearby, including the planned Stride S2 BRT line along I-405.

Services in Totem Lake

All services

Totem Lake real estate FAQ

Is Totem Lake a real lake or just a neighborhood name?

Both. Totem Lake is an actual lake and wetland, originally known as Lake Watstine, now at the heart of the district. The City of Kirkland and the King Conservation District co-manage the roughly 17-acre wetland as Totem Lake Park, and the neighborhood takes its name from it.

What transit is planned for Totem Lake?

Sound Transit's Stride S2 Line bus rapid transit is planned to serve the I-405/Totem Lake freeway station and the Kingsgate Park & Ride, with the Bellevue-to-Lynnwood line scheduled to open in 2029. A separate WSDOT interchange and inline BRT station project at I-405/NE 85th Street to the south serves greater downtown Kirkland.

Which school district serves Totem Lake?

Totem Lake is within the Lake Washington School District, which serves Kirkland, Redmond, and part of Sammamish. Schools are assigned by home address, so check the district's boundary maps and address lookup for the specific property you are considering.

What kinds of homes are available in Totem Lake?

The area includes detached single-family homes and apartment complexes dating largely from the district's growth alongside I-405, along with townhomes, condominiums, and newer mixed-use residential built as part of The Village at Totem Lake and the urban center.