with $100k coming in, swapping out of Albany

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

swapping out of albany

Seattle

wa · metro 4.0M

photo: Thom Milkovic / unsplash

a dispatch from

seattle

WA

47.61°N

122.33°W

Seattle is coffee snobs, ferries crossing the sound, mountains in two directions, and misty mornings that make the espresso taste better. Pike Place still throws fish, the salmon is genuinely better here, and the Cascades sit right outside your window like a movie backdrop. The hippie greenmarket soul still runs through everything the tech money has built. Bring layers.

metro4.0M

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$63

the monthly cost of moving past Albany

A small premium for Seattle. Worth it only if the rest of the city earns it back.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

33% more expensive than Albany(vs $1,643/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$487/mo less in state tax than Albany

vs 5.85% in Albany

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$63 less than Albany

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

04a house here

$791k

119% more expensive than Albany

vs $361k in Albany

05metro size

4.0M

vs 905k in Albany

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Albany only manages 147 of those.

A month here packs 9.8× the events of Albany.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

29% higher than Albany

vs 72/100 in Albany

Closest outdoor draw: Mount Rainier National Park, 59.8 mi.

·walk score®

98/100

8% higher than Albany

vs 91/100 in Albany

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

374% more than Albany

vs 19 nonstops in Albany

04 · see also

if seattle appeals, also worth a look:

see also

portland

similar overall lifestyle

turn the page

see also

trenton

more flight options

turn the page

see also

salt lake city

$198/mo cheaper

turn the page

compare seattle with:

PortlandTrentonSalt Lake City