Residential comparison · 13 facts
San Francisco, CA 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 San Francisco needs about $63,500 in Seattle to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Seattle, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $108,000 in San Francisco.
A few differences
- San Francisco is lower on property tax rate (0.75% vs 0.9%).
- San Francisco is lower on sales tax (8.63% vs 10.25%).
- Seattle is lower on groceries index (112 vs 118).
San Francisco vs Seattle · facet by facet
| Facet | San Francisco, CA | Seattle, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,300,000 | $850,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $4,300/mo | $2,800/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.9% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 8.63% | 10.25% |
| Cost of living index | 178 | 149 |
| Groceries index | 118 | 112 |
| Utilities | $240/mo | $210/mo |
| Median household income | $127,000 | $116,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4% | 4.1% |
| Crime index | 46/100 | 46/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 7.0/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 259 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: San Francisco, CA · Seattle, WA
Questions & answers
- Is San Francisco cheaper than Seattle?
- Seattle has the lower day-to-day cost index (149 vs 178 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Seattle equals $85,000 in San Francisco?
- A household earning $85,000 in San Francisco needs about $63,500 in Seattle to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Seattle lifestyle costs about $108,000 in San Francisco.