Washington's Secret Seattle Suburb You've Never Heard Of Is Known As An Oasis For Billionaires

Seattle, Washington has become one of the most desirable — and expensive — cities in the United States. Known for its top-tier dining scene, thriving arts and culture, and picturesque water views, the Emerald City offers a wide range of neighborhoods and lifestyles, from dense urban hubs such as Belltown to serene, retiree-friendly suburbs like Clyde Hill. As of 2024, Seattle was home to more than 54,200 millionaires. In 2025, the city placed 12th globally on the Cost of Living Index and Forbes reported that 13 of the world's billionaires live in Seattle. But they're not living in towering penthouses with a view of the Sound and the Space Needle. Instead, they've gravitated towards a small, somewhat unlikely enclave just outside the city. 

Over the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, tucked along a pristine stretch of waterfront, lies the quiet city of Medina (pronounced me-DIE-na). With a population of just 3,000, Medina functions almost as a hideaway — prized for its privacy and discretion rather than visibility or prestige. Despite its low profile, Medina is — or has been — home to some of the world's wealthiest individuals, including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.

Much of the region's affluence can be traced to the tech industry. The Puget Sound area is anchored by some of the world's most powerful companies: Microsoft is headquartered in nearby Redmond, Boeing has a massive operational presence in the region, and Amazon — now an e-commerce giant worth more than $2 trillion – began in Jeff Bezo's garage in Bellevue, a city directly across Lake Washington that has since evolved into a luxury shopping and residential hub. These companies have helped turn the greater Seattle area into a magnet for high-paying jobs and massive wealth. But Medina has attracted some of the wealthiest and most public-facing Seattleites of all.

Incorporated in 1955 on the banks of Lake Washington between Seattle and Bellevue, Medina is a small city known for its highly coveted waterfront. Essentially a peninsula accessed by a floating bridge, Medina itself spans about one mile, composed primarily of residences from sprawling multi-lot compounds to single-family homes. There's no "downtown," just a small grocery and deli, post office, nursery, several parks, a small public beach, an abundance of little free libraries, and a handful of highly rated schools, part of the Bellevue School District. Dining and nightlife require a trip into Seattle or Bellevue.

As Seattle's tech boom expanded the area's wealth radius, Medina became a refuge for ultra-wealthy residents. Bill Gates set the tone in 1988, purchasing waterfront property for $2 million and expanding a tech-forward compound, Xanadu 2.0, his primary residence now valued at roughly $130 million. He also acquired a Medina midcentury modern home which he sold in 2024 for $5 million. Other notable residents followed, including Charles Simonyi, former Microsoft executive and former longtime partner of Martha Stewart. He reportedly leveled several homes to build his mega-mansion, Villa Simonyi — also known as the Windows 2000 House — one of Medina's most distinctive properties. Its Modernist design includes art galleries, a swimming pool, a rotating bed, and advanced voice-activated systems.

Jeff Bezos arrived in 1998, assembling multiple waterfront properties into a residential compound. In 2019, he bought an additional Medina mansion with 300 feet of shoreline for $37.5 million. In 2023, Bezos announced a move to Miami, and in 2025, sold his Medina property for $63 million, the most expensive real estate sale in Washington State history, as of this writing. Those individuals may be the only household names, but Medina's real estate price tags prove it attracts more than just famous buyers.

In a community that houses multiple billionaires and other ultra-wealthy residents, it's unsurprising that Medina places a high priority on security. While many of these fortunes were built through technology, they are now also protected by it, and though it's not a gated community, Medina offers a strong sense of insulation from the outside world, reinforced by both geography and technology. Cameras and motion sensors are common in private homes and public spaces, and the community is notably vigilant: A sign as you enter warns, "You are entering a 24-hour video surveillance area." Many of Medina's most prominent residents, including Jeff Bezos, further shield their homes behind tall hedges, gates, and layered security measures — a strategy Bezos also employed at his Beverly Hills residence. When a Business Insider reporter visited Medina in 2018, he noted that he'd only been in the city for only about 15 minutes before a police officer approached him, explaining that a neighbor had reported a stranger.

Medina's location adds another layer of privacy. The city sits on a narrow peninsula along Lake Washington, with its most direct connection to Seattle running across the SR 520 Evergreen Point Floating Bridge — a toll road. While Medina can also be accessed through neighboring Eastside communities, these routes are limited and indirect, reinforcing its exclusion. Even the shoreline offers little public access: Much of the waterfront is privately owned, with homes featuring private docks and beaches.

There are, however, limited ways for outsiders to glimpse the community. Some private lake tours advertise architectural views of Medina's waterfront estates from the water, offering a distant perspective without entering the neighborhood itself. And because Medina is not gated, visitors can technically drive through — though, as past reporting suggests, unfamiliar vehicles may attract attention.