$100k a year, no longer in Salinas

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Seattle, WA cityscape

from salinas

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

$1,395

under Salinas, every month

In Seattle, rent stops being the headline. The cost gap shows up every month without you trying.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

22% cheaper than Salinas(vs $2,813/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$775/mo less in state tax than Salinas

vs 9.3% in Salinas

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$1,395 more than Salinas

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

04a house here

$791k

8% cheaper than Salinas

vs $862k in Salinas

05metro size

4.0M

vs 431k in Salinas

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Salinas gets 335 pleasant days a year, so you'd be trading some sunshine.

·outdoorscore

93/100

31% higher than Salinas

vs 71/100 in Salinas

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

·walk score®

98/100

24% higher than Salinas

vs 79/100 in Salinas

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

1400% more than Salinas

vs 6 nonstops in Salinas

04 · see also

if seattle appeals, also worth a look:

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