Residential comparison · 13 facts
Denver, CO vs Seattle, WA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $92,500 in Seattle to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Seattle, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $77,000 in Denver.
A few differences
- Denver is lower on property tax rate (0.5% vs 0.9%).
- Denver is lower on sales tax (8.8% vs 10.25%).
- Denver is lower on groceries index (102 vs 112).
Denver vs Seattle · facet by facet
| Facet | Denver, CO | Seattle, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $560,000 | $850,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,150/mo | $2,800/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| State & local income tax | 2.89% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 10.25% |
| Cost of living index | 112 | 149 |
| Groceries index | 102 | 112 |
| Utilities | $160/mo | $210/mo |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $116,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.8% | 4.1% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 46/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 245 days | 152 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Denver, CO · Seattle, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Denver cheaper than Seattle?
- Denver has the lower day-to-day cost index (112 vs 149 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Seattle equals $85,000 in Denver?
- A household earning $85,000 in Denver needs about $92,500 in Seattle to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Seattle lifestyle costs about $77,000 in Denver.