Seattle, Washington
Among the top 7% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 15% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A, better than 93% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 29% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 93% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade C, better than 33% of US places
- top 1% for walkability
- top 5% for airport distance
- bottom 1% for property crime
Seattle is a major city in Washington with about 735,000 residents. It grades A for weather and D for affordability. Standout strengths include walkability, airport distance, and comfortable days. It rates lower on monthly owner costs and property crime.
Official websiteseattle.gov (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm, dry summers · Cool winters · Moderate rain · Light snow
cold
cool
comfortable
warm
comf.
cool
cold
71%30%clearovercast
Precipitation 4.9 in1.2 in
dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$116k90th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$56kbetter than 18% of US places
Home Value$880k97th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 7% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 5% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.77%better than 67% of US places
Income Tax0.00%better than 92% of US places
Sales Tax9.38%better than 6% of US places
Estimated total tax burden8.91%better than 64% of US places
Unemployment4.2%better than 47% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)43°F76th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)67°F6th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation38.4 in39th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall3.8 inbetter than 70% of US places
Sunny Days217 daysbetter than 33% of US places
Summer Humidity53°Fbetter than 87% of US places
Comfortable Days118 daysbetter than 93% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk75.6better than 34% of US places
Air Quality42 AQIbetter than 69% of US places
School Quality100.0better than 93% of US places
Violent Crime1960/100kbetter than 9% of US places
Property Crime5734/100kbetter than 1% of US places
Community
Population734,603100th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age35.424th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5589th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0564th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+1915th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)61.2%24th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)6.6%80th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)7.5%66th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)16.7%98th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)8.0%85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 41% of US places
Walkability16.8/20better than 99% of US places
Airport Distance11 mibetter than 95% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access93.4%better than 77% of US places
Amenities Nearby40.13better than 34% of US places
Park & Nature AccessLimitedbetter than 15% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is Seattle an affordable place to live?
- Seattle is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $56k, better than 18% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in Seattle?
- The median home value in Seattle is $880k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in Seattle?
- Median household income in Seattle is $116k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in Seattle?
- Median gross rent in Seattle is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is Seattle safe?
- Seattle is higher-crime than most comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 1960/100k (better than 9%). Property crime is 5734/100k.
- What is the weather like in Seattle?
- Seattle averages 67°F in July and 43°F in January, with 38.4 in of annual precipitation and about 217 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in Seattle?
- Public-school quality in Seattle is above average, scoring better than 93% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in Seattle?
- The average one-way commute in Seattle is 27 min.
Other places in Kitsap County
Places near Seattle
Compare Seattle
Explore Washington
Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)