City profile
Seattle, WA cost of living
WA · BEA RPP 111.133
Latest official changes
Updates affecting Seattle, WA
City metrics retain the historical BEA 2024 and HUD FY2027 benchmarks. Change-log entries are dated source notices and do not automatically update those values.
2024 overall RPP
111.133
US = 100
2024 housing-rent RPP
151.314
Housing component
2024 goods RPP
103.972
Goods component
2-BR FMR (HUD)
$2,549/mo
FY2027 FMR
Where Seattle, WA sits in the verified metro set
RPP rank
#7 of 67
+11.1 vs U.S. average
Vs median metro
+11.6
median RPP 99.5
2-BR rent rank
#8 of 67
+860/mo vs median verified metro
RPP ranks use only verified ReloMath metro records. Sources: BEA MARPP 2024 (all items, housing, goods, other services); HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent; reviewed 2026-10-04. These are historical area benchmarks, not current neighborhood prices. HUD FMR is a 40th-percentile gross-rent benchmark, not median rent. BEA metro and HUD rent-area boundaries can differ. BEA: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA (Metropolitan Statistical Area) (code 42660). HUD: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area (code METRO42660MM7600); counties or county equivalents: King County, Snohomish County. The official files were retrieved 2026-10-04.
Who’s moving in and out of Seattle, WA
IRS tax-return migration · 2022-2023Cost of living is only half the relocation question. The other half is which way people are actually voting with their feet, straight from IRS tax-return migration for the Seattle, WA metro.
Moved in
101,301
people · 69,256 households
Moved out
107,866
people · 65,798 households
Net
−6,565
net loss of residents
Net migration rank
#53 of 65
among IRS-covered ReloMath metros
Vs median net flow
-6,936
median +371 people
Largest flow share
4% in / 5% out
top named county shares
Where new residents came from
- Los Angeles County, CA 4,334
- Thurston County, WA 4,223
- Kitsap County, WA 3,121
- Maricopa County, AZ 3,085
- San Diego County, CA 2,607
Where residents moved to
- Thurston County, WA 5,806
- Maricopa County, AZ 4,802
- Kitsap County, WA 4,626
- Los Angeles County, CA 3,233
- San Diego County, CA 2,468
Counts are IRS tax filers (returns ≈ households, individuals ≈ exemptions) who changed address between 2022-2023. Flows too small for IRS to disclose are grouped and excluded from the named lists. Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration data ↗, mapped to metros via the U.S. Census CBSA delineation.
What salary do you need in Seattle, WA?
Historical BEA 2024 salary illustration relative to the U.S. average (RPP 100), before tax and household adjustments. Housing is already included in overall RPP.
| In US-average city | You need in Seattle, WA | Formula |
|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $55,567 | $50,000 x (111.133/100) |
| $75,000 | $83,350 | $75,000 x (111.133/100) |
| $100,000 | $111,133 | $100,000 x (111.133/100) |
| $125,000 | $138,916 | $125,000 x (111.133/100) |
| $150,000 | $166,700 | $150,000 x (111.133/100) |
| $200,000 | $222,266 | $200,000 x (111.133/100) |
Salary illustrations use BEA 2024 overall Regional Price Parities (RPP) only, before tax and household-specific adjustments. Overall RPP already includes housing. HUD FY2027 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent is a separate historical gross-rent benchmark, not a current lease or median rent. Do not add rent to the RPP salary figure. Your lease and moving quote belong in a separate budget. Not financial advice.
Step 2: what will the move itself cost?
The historical salary illustration is separate from moving payments. Use an actual mover quote and lease terms in your budget summary.
State income tax note
Income tax and payroll deductions are not calculated. Obtain take-home estimates for your actual work and home addresses.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Seattle, WA?
- In the historical BEA 2024 benchmark, Seattle, WA has an overall Regional Price Parity of 111.133 (US average = 100). Its overall price level is 11.1% higher than the national average for that year.
- What salary do I need to live in Seattle, WA?
- If you earn $100,000 in a US-average city (RPP 100), the BEA 2024 RPP illustration is approximately $111,133 in Seattle, WA, before tax and household adjustments.
- What historical rent benchmark is shown for Seattle, WA?
- The historical HUD Fair Market Rent benchmark for a 2-bedroom associated with Seattle, WA is $2,549 per month as of FY2027.
- Are people moving to or away from Seattle, WA?
- Based on IRS tax-return migration data for 2022-2023, about 101,301 people moved into the Seattle, WA metro and 107,866 moved out — a net loss of roughly 6,565 residents. The largest single source of new residents was Los Angeles County, CA.
Curated nearby & similar cities
Similar verified metros by RPP
These links are chosen by data proximity: closest overall RPP to Seattle, WA, with HUD 2-BR rent as a tie-breaker.
Curated cost-of-living comparisons for Seattle, WA
Side-by-side cost of living and the equivalent salary you'd need — pick a destination.
Check published data changes
Review dated source notices for tracked metros alongside Seattle, WA's historical benchmarks. Change-log entries do not automatically refresh the BEA 2024 or HUD FY2027 values shown here.
View cost-of-living change log