$100k a year, no longer in Lexington

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

instead of lexington

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

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#5

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Best cities for health and wellness

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#7

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#3

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#7

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#2

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#3

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#3

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#6

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#6

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$330

the monthly cost of moving past Lexington

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

47% more expensive than Lexington(vs $1,488/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$375/mo less in state tax than Lexington

vs 4.5% in Lexington

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$330 less than Lexington

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

04a house here

$791k

144% more expensive than Lexington

vs $324k in Lexington

05metro size

4.0M

vs 520k in Lexington

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Lexington only manages 171 of those.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 6.0× more on the calendar than Lexington.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

55% higher than Lexington

vs 60/100 in Lexington

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

·walk score®

98/100

11% higher than Lexington

vs 88/100 in Lexington

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

592% more than Lexington

vs 13 nonstops in Lexington

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