with $100k coming in, swapping out of Columbia

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

if you left columbia

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

$101

the monthly cost of moving past Columbia

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

41% more expensive than Columbia(vs $1,551/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$542/mo less in state tax than Columbia

vs 6.5% in Columbia

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$101 less than Columbia

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

04a house here

$791k

210% more expensive than Columbia

vs $255k in Columbia

05metro size

4.0M

vs 857k in Columbia

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Columbia actually gets more: 189 pleasant days a year.

13.4× the events of Columbia, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

69% higher than Columbia

vs 55/100 in Columbia

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

·walk score®

98/100

15% higher than Columbia

vs 85/100 in Columbia

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

800% more than Columbia

vs 10 nonstops in Columbia

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