Residential comparison · 13 facts
Des Moines, WA vs SeaTac, 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 Des Moines needs about $81,000 in SeaTac to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from SeaTac, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,000 in Des Moines.
A few differences
- Des Moines is higher on median household income ($92,483 vs $81,104).
- SeaTac is lower on cost of living index (119 vs 124).
- SeaTac is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,778/mo vs $1,830/mo).
Des Moines vs SeaTac · facet by facet
| Facet | Des Moines, WA | SeaTac, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $597,000 | $519,700 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,830/mo | $1,778/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| Cost of living index | 124 | 119 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $92,483 | $81,104 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 155 days | 155 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: Des Moines, WA · SeaTac, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Des Moines cheaper than SeaTac?
- SeaTac has the lower day-to-day cost index (119 vs 124 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in SeaTac equals $85,000 in Des Moines?
- A household earning $85,000 in Des Moines needs about $81,000 in SeaTac to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of SeaTac lifestyle costs about $89,000 in Des Moines.