same $100k income, fresh start from Hickory

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

next stop after hickory

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

$384

pricier each month than Hickory

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

53% more expensive than Hickory(vs $1,434/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$375/mo less in state tax than Hickory

vs 4.5% in Hickory

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$384 less than Hickory

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

04a house here

$791k

195% more expensive than Hickory

vs $268k in Hickory

05metro size

4.0M

vs 370k in Hickory

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Hickory has the edge here, logging 189 pleasant days a year.

A month here packs 13.4× the events of Hickory.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

45% higher than Hickory

vs 64/100 in Hickory

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

·walk score®

98/100

40% higher than Hickory

vs 70/100 in Hickory

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

0% fewer than Hickory

vs 0 nonstops in Hickory

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