About 236 people move to the Seattle area every day, according to the Puget Sound Regional Council.

This means more people driving to their jobs, some more than an hour. About 100,000 people commute to the region from Whidbey Island, Aberdeen, Mount Vernon and beyond, according to the regional council.

On the commute map produced by real estate company Trulia, above, red indicates an hour commute. That seems optimistic. Marysville is in the red zone, but at rush hour it’s easily an hour and a half from Seattle. That’s because Highway 2, which serves suburbs east of Everett, funnels overwhelming traffic into I-5. Also, more than a dozen train crossings slow commuters moving through Marysville.

We’ll find out how packed we’ve become in June, when the state works up the numbers. They believe the population hit 4 million last year; it’s supposed to reach 5 million by 2040.

We’re booming because of a thriving tech sector and well-paid jobs. The wealth isn’t being spread around evenly, though, which causes stress for tenants and hopeful homebuyers. Rents have soared, and housing prices have done the same – each driven by too much demand and too little supply. It hasn’t been easy for people whose incomes have not kept up with the rise in the city’s fortunes. Many are moving far into the suburbs for a lifestyle they can afford.