on $100k a year, leaving Durham

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

swapping out of durham

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

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Most walkable cities in America

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$134

the monthly premium over Durham

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

30% more expensive than Durham(vs $1,684/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$375/mo less in state tax than Durham

vs 4.5% in Durham

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$134 less than Durham

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

04a house here

$791k

91% more expensive than Durham

vs $415k in Durham

05metro size

4.0M

vs 609k in Durham

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Durham keeps to 178 pleasant days a year.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 7.3× more on the calendar than Durham.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

86% higher than Durham

vs 50/100 in Durham

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

·walk score®

98/100

23% higher than Durham

vs 80/100 in Durham

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

131% more than Durham

vs 39 nonstops in Durham

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