same $100k income, fresh start from Buffalo

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

from buffalo

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

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities for health and wellness

read the guide
#7

of 10

Most livable cities in America

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for mild four-season weather

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities in states with no income tax

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best places to move in 2026

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities for parks and green space

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best cities for work-life balance

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for a $150k salary

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for a $200k salary

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for outdoor athletes

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for cyclists

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities for dog owners

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities in the Pacific Northwest

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to live in your 30s

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$332

more expensive each month than Buffalo

Seattle costs meaningfully more. Whether it earns that back in the day-to-day is the actual question.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

60% more expensive than Buffalo(vs $1,374/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$487/mo less in state tax than Buffalo

vs 5.85% in Buffalo

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$332 less than Buffalo

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

04a house here

$791k

183% more expensive than Buffalo

vs $280k in Buffalo

05metro size

4.0M

vs 1.2M in Buffalo

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Buffalo keeps to 152 pleasant days a year.

274% more happening than in Buffalo.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

41% higher than Buffalo

vs 66/100 in Buffalo

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

·walk score®

98/100

8% higher than Buffalo

vs 91/100 in Buffalo

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

350% more than Buffalo

vs 20 nonstops in Buffalo

04 · see also

in the same ballpark as seattle:

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