Housing and tax tradeoff: Olympia, Washington
Olympia, Washington comes out ahead here on rent burden and rent. This only compares rent burden, rent, home price, and estimated state tax burden; it is not a total cost-of-living ranking.
Demand-Backed Comparison
Compare Bellingham vs Olympia on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 8 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.
BellinghamOlympia
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Bellingham, Washington
Bellingham, Washington is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on climate comfort, weaker on sunshine.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 85,146 | 55,733 |
| Center Elevation | 69 ft(21 m) | 95 ft(29 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $651,041 | $528,694 |
| Median Rent | $1,908 | $1,901 |
| Median Income | $64,026 | $73,851 |
| Rent Burden | 36% | 31% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Sunny Days | 253 days/yr | 257 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 58°F | 61°F |
| Avg. Low | 44°F | 44°F |
| Comfort Score | 74/100Great | 73/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 30°F | 34°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 55"(140 cm) | 51"(130 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 23"(58 cm) | 13"(33 cm) |
| Air Quality | AQI 36 (Avg)0 days > 100 | AQI 34 (Avg)0 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 46 | 58 |
| Safety Score | 67 / 100 | 63 / 100 |
| School Rating | 5.9/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 15%Cable: 95% | Fiber: 3%Cable: 96% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 33.7 years | 38.7 years |
| College Educated | 46% | 48% |
| Remote Workers | 13% | 18% |
| Nature Access | ||
| Local Nature & Reserves | Finding... | Finding... |
| Scouting & Local Help | ||
Plan a first lookWays to plan a first visit or connect with a relevant local partner. | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Bellingham | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Olympia |
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