01 · the cities
Seattle
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.
full dispatch→Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City sits in a bowl of mountains so close you can be at a ski lift in 30 minutes. The grid is laid out from Temple Square in clean numbered streets that make navigation almost too easy. The Great Salt Lake glints west, the Wasatch towers east, and the city itself has loosened up into a real food and bar scene in the last decade. The powder really is that light.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,193/mo
$1,608/mo
$585/mo less than Seattle (36%)
Median home price
Median home price
$791k
$584k
$208k less than Seattle
State income tax
State income tax
0%
4.7%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$6,140/mo
$6,338/mo
Salt Lake City has $198/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
182 days
168 days
14 fewer than Seattle
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
23 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
33 days
days below 20°F per year
Salt Lake City has 23 more days above 95°F each year than Seattle. Salt Lake City drops below 20°F on 33 more days per year than Seattle.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
93 / 100
78 / 100
15.0 pts behind Seattle
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
90 routes
90 routes
Metro size
Metro size
4.0M metro
1.3M metro
Seattle has 4.1x more events per month than Salt Lake City.
the verdict
5
Seattle
categories won
3
Salt Lake City
categories won
Seattle wins on weather and lifestyle. Salt Lake City has the edge on money.
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