Seattle, WA
Census place 5363000 · pop 754,195
Birthplace of Starbucks and Jimi Hendrix, home of the Space Needle built for the 1962 World's Fair.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$938,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
43.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$2,196/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
3 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · better than most cities
3.6% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
9.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities
+4.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
41 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.78% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
15.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
6.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$123,860 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
68.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
22.2% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
6.5% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
12.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
Not measured for Seattle: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.
Frequently asked
- Is Seattle, WA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Seattle scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is physical inactivity and its weakest is housing cost. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- Is Seattle, WA expensive to live in?
- Seattle has a median home value of $938,600 and typical rent around $2,196/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Seattle, WA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($938,600) — 4/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Seattle, WA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is physical inactivity (12.2%) — 100/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Birthplace of Starbucks and Jimi Hendrix, home of the Space Needle built for the 1962 World's Fair.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.