Affordable & safe areas near Bellevue for a family?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Canadian moving to the Bellevue area on an F-1 visa for school, coming with my family (2 adults + 3 kids). We’re looking for a safe, family-friendly area within about 20–30 minutes of Bellevue College.

We’re on a tight budget (hoping for ~$1,800 if realistic) and are okay with older apartments or basement units.

We’ll also be enrolling our kids in school—one of them (7) has high-functioning autism, so access to good school support/services is important.

Any suggestions on areas to look at or avoid? I’ve been considering Renton, Kent, and Federal Way.

Open to areas slightly outside Bellevue if it helps with cost

Thanks so much!