Suburban 'Strawberry City' with small-town qualities
Marysville, 35 miles north of Seattle, has approximately 73,000 residents, making it one of the largest cities in Snohomish County. It's close to the Tulalip Indian Reservation and an affiliated resort casino. Puget Sound waterways and Possession Sound adjoin the area. Marysville was incorporated in 1891, and in the first part of the 20th century, the economy was centered around timber agriculture and the railroad. It began to take on a suburban character in the 1970s. It's known as "Strawberry City," and the annual Strawberry Festival celebrates the area's history of berry farms.
Marysville's workforce has been focused on manufacturing, followed by retail trade and health care. Most households have an income in the $75,000 to $100,000 range. People living below the poverty line make up over 6% of the population; that percentage is almost half the national average.
Views of the Cascades and Olympic mountains are a reminder of how close the city is to wilderness areas. The Cascades' Mount Pilchuck is incorporated into the city flag and seal. "Marysville is just a very welcoming community. It doesn't feel like 70,000-plus people, it has a small-town feel," says Dave Hall, assistant director of Marysville's Parks, Culture & Recreation Department. Small-town qualities are evident in gatherings and activities that bring the community together. "There are regular and annual events where you are seeing your friends and neighbors," Hall says. "There might be thousands attending, but you recognize a good majority of the crowd."
Ebey Waterfront Park has extensive waterways to enjoy in the city of Marysville.
The Tulalip Casino is a popular with locals and from afar.
The Tulalip Tribes anchors the city of Marysville to its historical significance.
On clear days the Olympic mountains are visible from all over Marysville.
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Jennings Park perks, Merrysville at Comeford Park
There are plenty of recreational sites in Marysville, with over 30 parks and 500,000 acres of parkland. "There are robust sports and enrichment programs for all ages," Hall says. "We believe that the Parks, Culture & Recreation Department increases the quality of life for our residents." Jennings Park stands out for its size, at over 50 acres, and the variety of amenities it offers. "People who don't live in Marysville come here. They know Jennings Park," Hall says. There are several playgrounds, a fishing pond, a garden area, nature trails and a pump track, which is a course designed so cyclists can use their body momentum rather than pedaling. Marysville's pump track was inspired by an elementary-school-age resident who presented a proposal to the Parks, Culture and Recreation Advisory Board. The track opened in 2023 with a ribbon cutting.
Comeford Park, named after the founder of Marysville, is close to Marysville Civic Center. "Merrysville for the Holidays, our big kick-off for the season is held here. There's a light parade that culminates in the lighting of a 40-foot tree," Hall says. Other parks of note are Ebey Waterfront Park, an intertidal marine park, and Olympic View Park, part of the Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project for wetlands preservation. The Centennial Trail spans 30 miles from Snohomish to Skagit County, with a portion passing by Lake Cassidy. A connector to the Bayview Trail was added to Centennial in 2023.
Indoor activity venues include Marysville Skate Center, Altitude Trampoline Park, Strawberry Lanes bowling alley and movie theater Regal Marysville. The Marysville Community Center has plenty of programs and events. "We have dance programs, like ballet, tap and line dancing; visual art programs, from woodcarving and gourd carving to painting; and audio arts, like guitar lessons," Hall says.
Jennings Park stands out for its size, at over 50 acres, and the variety of amenities it offers.
Comeford Park, named after the founder of Marysville, is close to Marysville Civic Center.
Ebey Waterfront Park is an intertidal marine park in the city of Marysville.
Olympic View Park is part of the Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project.
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Downtown shops; more at the Seattle Premium Outlets
Downtown Marysville's historic Third Street is focused on mom-and-pop shops and restaurants. Businesses include the 3rd Street Book Exchange, Finders Keepers Furnishings and 5 Rights Brewing Company. Oosterwyk's Dutch Bakery, established in 1917, has Danish sweets and donuts. Village Taphouse & Grill, a mainstay since 1937, is a favorite for house-made pies. For over 50 years, Don's Restaurant has been serving diner-style meals.
State Avenue between 72nd Street Northeast and 80th Street Northeast is another commercial area. The Seattle Premium Outlets, with over 120 stores and restaurants, is a few miles north of downtown, on the other side of Interstate 5. Farther north along I-5 are big-box retailers like Target and Costco. There's also a WinCo Foods, Albertsons, Fred Meyer, several Walmart Supercenter stores and more to choose from.
3rd Street Book Exchange has all those vintage titles you can't get anywhere else.
Pick up some antiques in downtown Marysville shopping district.
Oosterwyk's Dutch Bakery, established in 1917, offers Danish sweets and donuts.
Downtown Marysville's historic Third Street is focused on mom-and-pop shops and restaurants.
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Tulalip Resort Casino, Hibulb Cultural Center, Tulalip Day
The Tulalip Tribes' culture and heritage contribute much to the area's identity. South of the outlets is the Tulalip Resort Casino, for gaming, entertainment and spa services. The resort's restaurant, Blackfish, showcases traditional Tulalip food. West of the resort casino is the 22,000-acre Tulalip Reservation, a sovereign jurisdiction with over 2,700 residents. The Hibulb Cultural Center and National History Preserve is the first state-certified tribal facility. The last Friday of November, the annual Tulalip Day cultural celebration is observed at many local schools.
South of the outlets is the Tulalip Resort Casino, for gaming, entertainment and spa services.
The Tulalip Tribes' culture and heritage contribute much to the area's identity.
West of the resort casino is the 22,000-acre Tulalip Reservation, a sovereign jurisdiction.
The Hibulb Cultural Center and is the first state-certified tribal facility.
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Lower home prices than in Snohomish County overall
The city is developing rapidly. "It's on the move upward," says Judy Gratton, managing broker with eXp and founder of the Edge Group Team, who has been selling real estate for nearly 30 years and has seen Marysville real estate garner popularity. About 70% of the housing in Marysville is owner-occupied, and the majority have a mortgage payment. The average price for homes is in the mid-$600,000s, compared to Snohomish County as a whole, at about $800,000, and Seattle, exceeding $1 million.
Older homes generally concentrated toward downtown and to the west, include cottages from the early 1900s and 1950s to 1960s ranch-style homes. The range for 600-square-foot to 1,500-square-foot single-families is $300,000 to $600,000. Manufactured homes from the 1980s and 1990s start at $50,000. The newest additions are the 2020 single-family and townhouse developments in the southeast section of the city—these range from the high-$500,000s to the high-$900,000s. The few over $1 million tend to be over 3,000 square feet, and some are on multiacre lots. Gratton says that if a property is on leased tribal land, there can be restrictions.
Beautiful townhomes like this can be found around the city of Marysville.
Manufactured homes from the 1980s and 1990s start at $50,000 in the city of Marysville.
The average price for homes is in the mid-$600,000s, compared to Snohomish County as a whole.
There are few homes over $1 million in the city Marysville.
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The Strawberry Festival, the Marysville Opera House and more
The Marysville Strawberry Festival, held annually the third week of June, launched in 1932. Today, it draws over 100,000 people from throughout the region. The week-long festival includes a grand parade along State Avenue, a carnival, a craft market, live music and a strawberry shortcake eating contest.
The Sounds of Summer Concert Series and Outdoor Movies at the Park take place at Jennings Park Lions Pavilion. The Marysville Opera House is the setting for numerous events and performances, including works by the Seattle Opera. "The city acquired the opera house about 10 years ago. It's rented out as a popular wedding venue, and we have rotating events," Hall says. Examples include the Sabor Latino Dance Celebration, the Ladies LOL Comedy Show, the Monster Mash Halloween Ball and the Multi-Cultural Festival. "A show that's been selling out is Danny Vernon's Illusion of Elvis," Hall says.
Marysville School District serves most of the city
Most of the city is zoned to the Marysville School District, which has about 10,000 students and earns a C-plus grade from Niche. Marysville's indigenous education program serves more than 1,200. The district also has an aquatics program based at the Marysville-Pilchuck Pool. Language classes include American Sign Language, French, Japanese, Spanish and Lushootseed, which is spoken by the Tulalip and Quil Ceda people. Some of the city's northeastern addresses may be zoned to Lakewood School District, which earns a B-minus and is smaller, with about 2,500 students. The Marysville Sno-Isle Library has various programming geared toward school-age children, including regular activities on Fridays.
I-5 and Community Transit buses; crime considerations
For commuters to Seattle and other cities, there's convenient access to major roads, with I-5 to the west and state Route 9 to the east. Community Transit provides buses, DART paratransit and Vanpool. About 8 miles north of downtown Marysville, in Arlington, there's the Smokey Point Transit Center, a busing hub. The transit center is next to Arlington Municipal Airport, with general aviation. For standard passenger flights, it's about 50 miles from Marysville to Sea-Tac, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
FBI statistics show that Marysville's crime rate increased by about 9% between December 2020 and December 2023. The crime rate for Marysville in 2023 was about 48% lower than Everett's but 52% higher than that of Kirkland. Additionally, the Marysville Police Department partners with a regional property crime unit and has other specialty units like the Pro-Act Team, which is focused on neighborhood livability and community issues.
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