with $100k coming in, swapping out of Santa Rosa

change
Seattle, WA cityscape

if you left santa rosa

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

read the guide
#5

of 10

Best cities for health and wellness

read the guide
#7

of 10

Most livable cities in America

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for mild four-season weather

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities in states with no income tax

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best places to move in 2026

read the guide
#2

of 10

Best cities for parks and green space

read the guide
#7

of 10

Best cities for work-life balance

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for a $150k salary

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities for a $200k salary

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for outdoor athletes

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities for cyclists

read the guide
#4

of 10

Best cities for dog owners

read the guide
#3

of 10

Best cities in the Pacific Northwest

read the guide
#6

of 10

Best cities to live in your 30s

read the guide

01 · the verdict

the verdict

$1,179

cheaper each month than Santa Rosa

Seattle sits well below Santa Rosa on cost. Same paycheck, a noticeably lighter month.
landable, recorded on the seattle entry

02 · the money

a quick ledger.

01rent

$2,193/mo

16% cheaper than Santa Rosa(vs $2,597/mo)

02state income tax

0%

$775/mo less in state tax than Santa Rosa

vs 9.3% in Santa Rosa

03after rent

$6,140/mo

$1,179 more than Santa Rosa

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

04a house here

$791k

3% cheaper than Santa Rosa

vs $817k in Santa Rosa

05metro size

4.0M

vs 482k in Santa Rosa

03 · the life

field notes, weather & such.

182

pleasant days a year, in seattle.

Santa Rosa edges ahead with 254 pleasant days.

25300% more happening than in Santa Rosa.
on a typical month
·outdoorscore

93/100

35% higher than Santa Rosa

vs 69/100 in Santa Rosa

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

·walk score®

98/100

0% lower than Santa Rosa

vs 98/100 in Santa Rosa

Walk Score® methodology

·nonstops

90

2150% more than Santa Rosa

vs 4 nonstops in Santa Rosa

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