same $100k income, fresh start from Mobile

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Seattle, WA cityscape

next stop after mobile

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

of 10

Most livable cities in America

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#6

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Best cities for mild four-season weather

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#3

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Best cities in states with no income tax

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#7

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Best places to move in 2026

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#2

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Best cities for parks and green space

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#7

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Best cities for work-life balance

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#3

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Best cities for a $150k salary

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#3

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Best cities for a $200k salary

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#6

of 10

Best cities for outdoor athletes

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#6

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#3

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Best cities in the Pacific Northwest

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#6

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Best cities to live in your 30s

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$475

pricier each month than Mobile

Seattle runs a little pricier than Mobile. The case has to be about something other than rent.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

68% more expensive than Mobile(vs $1,302/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$417/mo less in state tax than Mobile

vs 5% in Mobile

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$475 less than Mobile

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

04a house here

$791k

308% more expensive than Mobile

vs $194k in Mobile

05metro size

4.0M

vs 412k in Mobile

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Mobile edges ahead with 225 pleasant days.

Nights and weekends fill up faster. 10.6× more on the calendar than Mobile.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

58% higher than Mobile

vs 59/100 in Mobile

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

·walk score®

98/100

42% higher than Mobile

vs 69/100 in Mobile

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

1700% more than Mobile

vs 5 nonstops in Mobile

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