on $100k a year, leaving Austin

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

instead of austin

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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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$610

pricier each month than Austin

You'd pay for Seattle. The question is whether the days are worth the difference.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

39% more expensive than Austin(vs $1,583/mo)

02state income tax

0%

vs 0% in Austin

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$610 less than Austin

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

04a house here

$791k

83% more expensive than Austin

vs $433k in Austin

05metro size

4.0M

vs 2.5M in Austin

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Austin only manages 170 of those.

112% more happening than in Austin.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

66% higher than Austin

vs 56/100 in Austin

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

·walk score®

98/100

1% lower than Austin

vs 99/100 in Austin

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

114% more than Austin

vs 42 nonstops in Austin

04 · see also

same energy as seattle, different zip code:

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