Seattle, Washington
Among the top 7% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade D, better than 13% 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 monthly owner costs
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 property crime and monthly owner costs.
- The median home value in Seattle is $880k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median household income in Seattle is $116k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Median gross rent in Seattle is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Seattle has a violent crime rate of 1960/100k, per the FBI Uniform Crime Reports.
- The average one-way commute in Seattle is 27 min, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
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$153kbetter than 0% 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 100% 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
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)
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. Median rent is $2k.
- 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.