Seattle vs Spokane
Seattle, Washington versus Spokane, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Seattle and Spokane score about the same overall (50 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Seattle | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $116k | $63k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $45k |
| Home Value | $880k | $287k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.88% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.91% | 7.09% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 6.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 43°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 70°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.4 in | 16.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.8 in | 45.4 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 184 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 44°F |
| Comfortable Days | 118 days | 66 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 75.6 | 14.6 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 97.4 |
| Violent Crime | 1960/100k | 2609/100k |
| Property Crime | 5734/100k | 5771/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 734,603 | 227,922 |
| Median Age | 35.4 | 37.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.55 | 0.32 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+19 | Even |
| White (%) | 61.2% | 79.6% |
| Black (%) | 6.6% | 2.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.5% | 7.2% |
| Asian (%) | 16.7% | 2.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.0% | 8.1% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 16.8/20 | 15.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 11 mi | 5 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.4% | 90.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 40.13 | 23.12 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Good |
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 Seattle or Spokane more affordable?
- Spokane has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Seattle's $56k and Spokane's $45k. Median rent is $2k in Seattle versus $1k in Spokane.
- Is Seattle or Spokane safer?
- Seattle has the lower violent crime rate. Seattle reports 1960/100k and Spokane reports 2609/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Seattle or Spokane?
- The median home value is $880k in Seattle and $287k in Spokane, so homes are more affordable in Spokane.