Denver vs Seattle

Side-by-side cost of living, income, housing and population. Calculator, charts and shareable results — official Census data.

Population, income, rent, home value and age for 2026. Shareable URL updates automatically.

Keep Your Standard — How Much There?

If you earn — in State A, what do you need in State B?

Need in State B
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Difference
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Verdict
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Best Value — Most Affordable States
ND
North Dakota
75,949 income · 934 rent · 14.8% of income
Cheapest
SD
South Dakota
72,421 income · 912 rent · 15.1% of income
Very affordable
WY
Wyoming
74,815 income · 968 rent · 15.5% of income
Very affordable
IA
Iowa
73,147 income · 949 rent · 15.6% of income
Very affordable

Lowest rent burden (rent as a share of monthly income) — ACS 2024 5-year. How this is calculated.

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How to read this comparison

Comparing Denver with Seattle on identical measures drawn from the same federal datasets and the same survey year. Any difference you see below is therefore a genuine difference between the two places, not an artefact of how the two tables were assembled.

Read the components rather than a single composite score. An index is always a weighting decision; the individual figures below let you apply your own, and each one links back to the full profile for that state if you want the county detail underneath.

Frequently asked questions

What data does this page show?

Compare cost of living, salaries, housing, rent, taxes and population between Denver and Seattle. Calculator, charts and side-by-side table — official Census data.

Denver or Seattle — which is cheaper?

Compare housing, rent, taxes and pay row by row in the table above.

What matters most when moving?

Housing cost first, then take-home pay after taxes, then rent and daily costs.

How current are these figures?

Each figure carries its own measurement period and last successful refresh. Weekly series (mortgage, gas) show a week date; annual estimates (ACS, HUD) show a survey or program year; daily series (S&P 500, Treasury) show a trading date. A figure is flagged when the source has missed its normal cycle. Full vintage list: <a href="/disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>.

Where do the numbers come from?

Official U.S. government sources only — Census ACS, BLS, HUD, Freddie Mac PMMS, EIA, FRED. LifeIndexData is independent and free: not affiliated with, sponsored by, or compensated by any lender, and advertising never affects our data. Source table: <a href="/about">About</a>.

Is this financial advice?

No. Informational only — see the <a href="/disclaimer">Disclaimer</a>.