same $100k income, fresh start from Columbus

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

swapping out of columbus

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

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#7

of 10

Most livable cities in America

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#6

of 10

Best cities for mild four-season weather

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#3

of 10

Best cities in states with no income tax

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#7

of 10

Best places to move in 2026

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#2

of 10

Best cities for parks and green space

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#7

of 10

Best cities for work-life balance

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#3

of 10

Best cities for a $150k salary

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#3

of 10

Best cities for a $200k salary

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#6

of 10

Best cities for outdoor athletes

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#6

of 10

Best cities for cyclists

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#4

of 10

Best cities for dog owners

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#3

of 10

Best cities in the Pacific Northwest

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#6

of 10

Best cities to live in your 30s

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$472

pricier each month than Columbus

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

73% more expensive than Columbus(vs $1,264/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$457/mo less in state tax than Columbus

vs 5.49% in Columbus

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$472 less than Columbus

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

04a house here

$791k

281% more expensive than Columbus

vs $208k in Columbus

05metro size

4.0M

vs 329k in Columbus

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Columbus only manages 177 of those.

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

93/100

98% higher than Columbus

vs 47/100 in Columbus

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

·walk score®

98/100

26% higher than Columbus

vs 78/100 in Columbus

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

8900% more than Columbus

vs 1 nonstops in Columbus

04 · see also

cities that play in seattle's register:

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