Moving from New York to Seattle
Your paycheck goes 11.9% further in Seattle than in New York. Compare taxes, rent, home prices and the cost of the move.
Equal salary in Seattle: $88,000
Compare any two of 149 U.S. metro areas. All cities
To keep the same lifestyle, you need about $88,000 in Seattle, WA to match $100,000 in New York, NY ($12,000 less), after 2026 taxes and local prices.
Single filer, W-2 salary. Washington has no state income tax on wages; New York does; includes New York City resident tax $3,441 (inside city limits).
New York vs Seattle: key facts
- Median rent
- $1,851 → $2,050/mo
- Median home value
- $648,800 → $743,000
- Median household income
- $99,852 → $112,388
- Price level (U.S. = 100)
- 112.6 → 111.1
- Natural hazard risk (FEMA)
- Among the highest (96.8 → 99.0 of 100)
New York vs Seattle cost of living
The vertical line marks the U.S. average (100).
| Measure | New York, NY | Seattle, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall price level (U.S. = 100) | 112.6 | 111.1 |
| Median rent | $1,851 | $2,050 |
| Income to rent affordably (30%) | $74,040 | $82,000 |
| Median home value | $648,800 | $743,000 |
| Monthly cost to own (20% down) | $4,377 | $4,568 |
| Income needed to buy | $187,587 | $195,752 |
| Median property tax | $9,973 | $6,294 |
| State income tax on $100,000 | $4,860 | $0 |
| City income tax (inside city limits) | $3,441 | None |
| Metro population | 19,940,274 | 4,145,494 |
Metro-area figures (Census ACS 2024, BEA 2024). Taxes use each metro's principal state, plus the income tax the principal city charges its residents. Commuters who live elsewhere often pay a nonresident rate, and many suburbs levy their own local tax, so unticking a city's box in the calculator estimates a typical suburban rate for it instead.
At higher incomes, especially for homeowners, itemizing state and local taxes (deductible up to $40,400 in 2026) can lower your federal tax while you live in New York, which narrows the gap shown.
- New York, NY: New York City residents pay a city income tax of 3.078%–3.876% on New York taxable income (brackets set in law, not indexed). The tax follows where you live, not where you work: people who live outside the five boroughs don't pay it, even when they commute into the city (New York City government employees are the exception). Yonkers, in Westchester County, has its own resident and nonresident taxes. Take-home figures include the resident tax.
Your yearly budget: New York vs Seattle
On a $100,000 salary, taxes, housing, electricity, one car and health insurance for one adult come to $67,132 a year in New York and $59,334 in Seattle if you rent: $7,798 less after the move. If you buy the median home, they come to $97,444 and $89,544 ($7,900 less).
Your yearly budget, before vs after
| Yearly cost | New YorkBefore | SeattleAfter | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income and payroll taxes on $100,000, single filer | $29,533 | $22,207 | -$7,326 |
| Electricity state average bill | $1,674 | $1,364 | -$310 |
| Car insurance one car, state average | $1,753 | $1,153 | -$600 |
| Gas 12,000 miles at 25 mpg | $2,156 | $2,666 | +$510 |
| Health insurance one adult, age 40, own plan before subsidies | $9,804 | $7,344 | -$2,460 |
| If you rent | |||
| Rent median, 12 months | $22,212 | $24,600 | +$2,388 |
| Total if you rent | $67,132 | $59,334 | -$7,798 |
| If you buy the median home (20% down) | |||
| Mortgage payment median home, 20% down, 6.95% | $41,229 | $47,215 | +$5,986 |
| Property tax median home | $9,973 | $6,294 | -$3,679 |
| Homeowners insurance state median, with a mortgage | $1,322 | $1,301 | -$21 |
| Total if you buy | $97,444 | $89,544 | -$7,900 |
Taxes: 2026 federal and state rules, plus the principal city's resident income tax where it has one, standard deduction. Rent, home value and property tax: Census ACS 2024 metro-area medians. Mortgage: Freddie Mac 30-year average (6.95%, week of September 17, 2026).
State figures for the principal state: EIA 2024 average residential power bill, NAIC 2023 auto insurance (average per car), Census ACS 2024 homeowners insurance (median for owners with a mortgage; premiums have risen since), AAA regular gas on September 23, 2026, and the KFF 2026 benchmark silver Marketplace premium. Job-based health coverage usually costs you less, and in 2026 incomes between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level can get a premium tax credit.
Not included: sales tax (combined state and local rates are not in our data yet), food, car payments and other spending.
Child care is not in the totals. Full-time center care for one infant averages $20,439 a year in New York and $21,348 in Seattle (Child Care Aware of America, 2024 state averages).
Who moves from New York to Seattle
About 2,682 households (3,530 people) moved from the New York metro area to the Seattle metro area in 2022–2023, making Seattle the #19 destination for people leaving New York among the 149 metro areas we cover. 2,596 households moved the other way. Their average adjusted gross income was $138,451.
Cost to move from New York to Seattle
| Moving method (2–3 bedrooms) | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Rental truck (DIY) | $1,710–$8,490 |
| Moving container | $2,630–$7,840 |
| Full-service movers | $4,150–$21,710 |
Shipping a car instead of driving
Car shipping: $1,560–$2,250
Shipping a sedan from New York to Seattle on an open carrier costs about $1,560–$2,250, typically 5–10 days in transit over about 2,820 miles.
Modeled from 32 published 2026 route prices (SGT Auto Transport 'Ship a Car to Another State' sample routes, SGT Auto Transport cost calculator sample routes) plus published Hawaii and Alaska rates. SUVs cost about 25% more and enclosed carriers about 35% more. Not a quote.
Natural hazard risk: New York vs Seattle
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the New York area among the highest (score 96.8) and the Seattle area among the highest (score 99), on a 0–100 national percentile scale. Expected yearly losses from natural hazards average $227 vs $653 per resident.
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
The vertical line marks the middle of U.S. counties (50).
Frequently asked questions
Is Seattle cheaper than New York?
Overall prices in the Seattle area are 1.3% lower than in New York (BEA Regional Price Parities 2024). Median rent is $2,050 vs $1,851 a month, and the median home is $743,000 vs $648,800.
What salary do I need in Seattle to match $100,000 in New York?
About $88,000, after 2026 federal taxes and local prices. Washington has no state income tax on wages; New York does.
How much does it cost to move from New York to Seattle?
For a 2–3 bedroom home over about 2,820 miles: roughly $1,710–$8,490 with a rental truck, $2,630–$7,840 with a container, or $4,150–$21,710 with full-service movers.
How many people move from New York to Seattle?
IRS county migration data for 2022–2023 show about 2,682 households (3,530 people) moved from the New York metro area to the Seattle metro area, and 2,596 moved the other way.
Related
Where people from New York move
- New York to Miami 17,217 households
- New York to Philadelphia 17,010 households
- New York to Los Angeles 8,964 households
- New York to Bridgeport 8,417 households
- New York to Washington, D.C. 8,033 households
- New York to Poughkeepsie 7,773 households
- New York to Boston 7,622 households
- New York to Orlando 6,562 households