$100k salary, packing up from Seattle

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Pensacola, FL cityscape

swapping out of seattle

Pensacola

fl · metro 530k

photo: Viktoria B. / pexels

a dispatch from

pensacola

FL

30.42°N

87.22°W

Pensacola is the Blue Angels' home base (you can watch their practices for free at the National Naval Aviation Museum), with sugar-white sand beaches on the Gulf and a charming historic district that goes back to the Spanish. It's the western-most Florida city, closer to New Orleans than to Miami in feel. Affordable, sunny, and serious about seafood.

metro530k

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$441

under Seattle, every month

The gap is real. Pensacola costs noticeably less than Seattle, every month.
landable, recorded on the pensacola entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$1,752/mo

20% cheaper than Seattle(vs $2,193/mo)

02state income tax

0%

vs 0% in Seattle

03after rent

$6,581/mo

$441 more than Seattle

gross of federal tax. a comparison, not a paycheck.

04a house here

$303k

62% cheaper than Seattle

vs $791k in Seattle

05metro size

530k

vs 4.0M in Seattle

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

226

pleasant days a year, in pensacola.

Seattle only manages 182 of those.

Lighter on events: Seattle packs 9.8× more into a month.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

69/100

26% lower than Seattle

vs 93/100 in Seattle

Closest outdoor draw: Gulf Islands National Seashore, 6.9 mi.

·walk score®

64/100

35% lower than Seattle

vs 98/100 in Seattle

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

11

88% fewer than Seattle

vs 90 nonstops in Seattle

04 · see also

cities that play in pensacola's register:

see also

eugene

better park access

turn the page

see also

daytona beach

similar overall lifestyle

turn the page

see also

greenville

more things to do

turn the page

compare pensacola with:

EugeneDaytona BeachGreenville