on $100k a year, leaving Ann Arbor

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

swapping out of ann arbor

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

in our guides

#7

of 10

Most walkable cities in America

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#5

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Best cities for health and wellness

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#7

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Most livable cities in America

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#7

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#2

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#3

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#6

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#6

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Best cities to live in your 30s

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$243

under Ann Arbor, every month

Seattle gives you room Ann Arbor doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

5% more expensive than Ann Arbor(vs $2,082/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$354/mo less in state tax than Ann Arbor

vs 4.25% in Ann Arbor

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$243 more than Ann Arbor

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

04a house here

$791k

84% more expensive than Ann Arbor

vs $429k in Ann Arbor

05metro size

4.0M

vs 366k in Ann Arbor

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Ann Arbor keeps to 154 pleasant days a year.

18.1× the events of Ann Arbor, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

66% higher than Ann Arbor

vs 56/100 in Ann Arbor

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

·walk score®

98/100

1% higher than Ann Arbor

vs 97/100 in Ann Arbor

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

33% fewer than Ann Arbor

vs 135 nonstops in Ann Arbor

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