Bellevue vs Seattle
Bellevue, Washington versus Seattle, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Bellevue edges out Seattle on overall objective livability (54 vs 50 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Bellevue | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $150k | $116k |
| Cost of Living | $73k | $56k |
| Home Value | $1.1M | $880k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $4k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.73% | 0.77% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.68% | 8.91% |
| Unemployment | 4.0% | 4.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 43°F | 43°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 67°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.9 in | 38.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.8 in | 3.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 118 days | 118 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 88.2 | 75.6 |
| Air Quality | 27 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 93.8 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 666/100k | 1960/100k |
| Property Crime | 3790/100k | 5734/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 150,606 | 734,603 |
| Median Age | 38.3 | 35.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.61 | 0.55 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 1.05 |
| Political Leaning | D+54 | D+19 |
| White (%) | 44.1% | 61.2% |
| Black (%) | 2.6% | 6.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 8.2% | 7.5% |
| Asian (%) | 39.4% | 16.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 5.8% | 8.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 24 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 14.1/20 | 16.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 13 mi | 11 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.1% | 93.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 51.86 | 40.13 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Bellevue or Seattle more affordable?
- Seattle has the lower cost of living: its index is $56k, compared with Bellevue's $73k and Seattle's $56k. Median rent is $2k in Bellevue versus $2k in Seattle.
- Is Bellevue or Seattle safer?
- Bellevue has the lower violent crime rate. Bellevue reports 666/100k and Seattle reports 1960/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Bellevue or Seattle?
- The median home value is $1.1M in Bellevue and $880k in Seattle, so homes are more affordable in Seattle.