same $100k income, fresh start from Portland

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

swapping out of portland

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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Most livable cities in America

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Best cities for mild four-season weather

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01 · the verdict

the verdict

$717

cheaper each month than Portland

You'd feel the difference in Seattle. Not life-changing money, but real breathing room next to Portland.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

4% cheaper than Portland(vs $2,285/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$625/mo less in state tax than Portland

vs 7.5% in Portland

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$717 more than Portland

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

04a house here

$791k

46% more expensive than Portland

vs $543k in Portland

05metro size

4.0M

vs 566k in Portland

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Portland only manages 145 of those.

8.2× the events of Portland, and the calendar shows it.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

31% higher than Portland

vs 71/100 in Portland

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

·walk score®

98/100

0% lower than Portland

vs 98/100 in Portland

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

4400% more than Portland

vs 2 nonstops in Portland

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