Housing and tax tradeoff: Seattle, Washington
Seattle, 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 Chicago vs Seattle on cost, climate, safety, and daily life
People have logged this comparison 96 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.
ChicagoSeattle
What Stands Out
A quick read on this comparison
Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.
Biggest tradeoff: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on sunshine, weaker on safety.
Potential dealbreaker: Chicago, Illinois
Chicago, Illinois needs a closer look before you get too attached, especially on rent burden.
Comparison Matrix
| City | ||
|---|---|---|
| Route | ||
| General Info | ||
| Population | 2,664,452 | 737,015 |
| Population Density | 12.0k /sq mi | 8.7k /sq mi |
| Center Elevation | 587 ft(179 m) | 184 ft(56 m) |
| Housing & Wealth | ||
| Median Home | $304,487 | $832,857 |
| Median Rent | $2,191 | $2,182 |
| Median Income | $71,673 | $116,068 |
| Rent Burden | 37% | 23% |
| Climate & Risks | ||
| Days with 5+ Hours of Sun | 280 days/yr | 255 days/yr |
| Avg. High | 59°F | 59°F |
| Avg. Low | 44°F | 46°F |
| Comfort Score | 47/100Mixed | 78/100Great |
| Temp Swing | 48°F | 31°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 44"(112 cm) | 46"(117 cm) |
| Annual Snowfall | 28"(71 cm) | 12"(30 cm) |
| Air Quality | Typical: 442024 modeled avg · 19 days > 100 | Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 1 days > 100 |
| Infrastructure & Lifestyle | ||
| Transit Score | 100 | N/A |
| Safety Score | 30 / 100 | 53 / 100 |
| School Rating | 7.3/10 | 6.7/10 |
| Flood Risk (FEMA) | minimalMinimal Risk | minimalMinimal Risk |
| Central Tract Wildfire Risk | minimalMinimal | minimalMinimal |
| Internet Access | Fiber: 33%Cable: 99% | Fiber: 71%Cable: 99% |
| Demographics | ||
| Median Age | 35.3 years | 35.4 years |
| College Educated | 42% | 67% |
| Remote Workers | 16% | 27% |
| 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 Chicago | Featured Local Partner ADYour logo Partner spot available For organizations that can help someone land in Seattle |
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