King County · Washington · West · 754k residents
Seattle, WA: economy, jobs & business costs
The site-selection read on Seattle: labor costs, talent, corporate tax, energy, and business activity, with the Washington median as the yardstick. Compare it live against any of 3,000 US cities.
Data coverage: Curated city row; coverage varies by fact.
Average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $2,630/wk. Washington's corporate income tax rate is 0%. Commercial electricity averages 10.0¢/kWh.
Compare Seattle side by side
Avg. weekly wage
$2,630/wk
Corporate income tax
0%
Bachelor's degree or higher
68.4%
Commercial electricity
10.0¢/kWh
Economic momentum
How fast Seattle's economy is moving, ranked against the US cities we track.
23/100
Cooling
Ranks Seattle's residential building-permit and jobs growth against the US cities we cover. The label is relative pace, not a direction, so a market can rank low while some figures still rise. A higher score moves faster, it is not cheaper or better. This is economic activity, not commercial lease rates or vacancy. Not investment or relocation advice.
| Median home value | $850,000 |
| Price per sq. ft. | $620 |
| Property tax rate | 0.9% |
| 1-bedroom rent | $2,100/mo |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,800/mo |
| State & local income tax | 0% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% |
| Corporate income tax | 0% |
| Avg. weekly wage | $2,630/wk |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 68.4% |
| Commercial electricity | 10.0¢/kWh |
| Businesses per 1k residents | 35.5/1k |
| Wage: Software developer | $167,280 |
| Wage: Registered nurse | $128,260 |
| Wage: General manager | $146,030 |
| Wage: Customer service | $53,550 |
| Wage: Warehouse worker | $46,830 |
| Wage: Heavy truck driver | $71,240 |
| Wage: Electrician | $101,780 |
| Wage: Retail salesperson | $42,080 |
| Cost of living index | 149 |
| Groceries index | 112 |
| Utilities | $210/mo |
| Transit pass | $99/mo |
| Gas price | $4.30/gal |
| Healthcare index | 108 |
| Childcare (per child) | $1,900/mo |
| Median household income | $116,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% |
| Population | 754k |
| Crime index | 46/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 |
| Walkability | 74/100 |
| Disaster risk | 100/100 |
| Avg. commute | 30 min |
| Sunny days / year | 152 days |
| July high | 77°F |
| January low | 37°F |
| Annual snowfall | — |
| Home price YoY | -2.5% |
| Home price MoM | -0.9% |
| Rent YoY | +0.6% |
| Rent MoM | 0.0% |
| Employment (jobs) YoY | -0.9% |
| Building permits YoY | -25.9% |
| Ocean coast | < 3 mi |
| Big lake | 257 mi |
| Mountains | 59 mi |
| Major airport | 11 mi |
| Ski resort | 44 mi |
Popular comparisons
Nearby
- Bellevue, WA · 152k
- Mercer Island, WA · 25k
- Kirkland, WA · 93k
- Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA · 18k
- Bainbridge Island, WA · 25k
Similar size
- Spokane, WA · 230k
- Tacoma, WA · 223k
- Vancouver, WA · 195k
- Kent, WA · 136k
- Everett, WA · 112k
Real listings in Seattle
LoopNet ↗Crexi ↗CommercialCafe ↗
Links open third-party listing searches. WhereToHQ has no paid relationship with these sites.
- Is Seattle a good place to run a business?
- Washington's corporate income tax rate is 0%; average weekly wages in the surrounding labor market run $2,630/wk; commercial electricity averages 10.0¢/kWh. Weigh these against your own priorities in the business comparison tool.
- What is the cost of living in Seattle, WA?
- Seattle indexes at 149 for day-to-day costs against a national baseline of 100, with a typical two-bedroom renting for $2,800/mo and a median home value of $850,000.
- How much does a house cost in Seattle?
- The median home value in Seattle is $850,000 (compiled estimate; individual listings vary).
- How much is rent in Seattle?
- A two-bedroom in Seattle rents for about $2,800/mo.