Seattle vs Tacoma
Seattle, Washington versus Tacoma, 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 Tacoma score about the same overall (50 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Seattle | Tacoma |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $116k | $79k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $55k |
| Home Value | $880k | $415k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.77% | 0.96% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.91% | 8.14% |
| Unemployment | 4.2% | 5.4% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 43°F | 42°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 67°F | 66°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 38.4 in | 40.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.8 in | 5.6 in |
| Sunny Days | 217 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 53°F | 53°F |
| Comfortable Days | 118 days | 113 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 75.6 | 83.5 |
| Air Quality | 42 AQI | 38 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 91.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1960/100k | 2692/100k |
| Property Crime | 5734/100k | 8571/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 734,603 | 219,234 |
| Median Age | 35.4 | 36.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.55 | 0.59 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 1.01 |
| Political Leaning | D+19 | D+19 |
| White (%) | 61.2% | 57.2% |
| Black (%) | 6.6% | 10.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 7.5% | 12.3% |
| Asian (%) | 16.7% | 8.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 8.0% | 11.9% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 30 min |
| Walkability | 16.8/20 | 15.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 11 mi | 16 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 93.4% | 90.7% |
| Amenities Nearby | 40.13 | 30.93 |
| Park & Nature Access | Limited | Moderate |
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 Tacoma more affordable?
- Tacoma has the lower cost of living: its index is $55k, compared with Seattle's $56k and Tacoma's $55k. Median rent is $2k in Seattle versus $1k in Tacoma.
- Is Seattle or Tacoma safer?
- Seattle has the lower violent crime rate. Seattle reports 1960/100k and Tacoma reports 2692/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Seattle or Tacoma?
- The median home value is $880k in Seattle and $415k in Tacoma, so homes are more affordable in Tacoma.