on $100k a year, leaving Philadelphia

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

next stop after philadelphia

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

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$244

below Philadelphia's monthly cost

Seattle gives you room Philadelphia doesn't. Same gross salary, lower monthly cost of living.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

17% more expensive than Philadelphia(vs $1,869/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$568/mo less in state tax than Philadelphia

vs 6.82% in Philadelphia

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$244 more than Philadelphia

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

04a house here

$791k

101% more expensive than Philadelphia

vs $393k in Philadelphia

05metro size

4.0M

vs 6.2M in Philadelphia

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Philadelphia only manages 173 of those.

37% more happening than in Philadelphia.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

35% higher than Philadelphia

vs 69/100 in Philadelphia

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

·walk score®

98/100

2% lower than Philadelphia

vs 100/100 in Philadelphia

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

26% fewer than Philadelphia

vs 122 nonstops in Philadelphia

04 · see also

neighbors of seattle on the map of tradeoffs:

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