It’s no surprise that more and more people are moving to Washington’s largest city, Seattle. The number of people moving to Seattle each month has been reported to be over 1,000 in 2019. Why? Because Seattle is such a unique place to live in—surrounded by water, mountains, and lush evergreen forests.

If you like the great outdoors and peaceful ambiance, Seattle can offer you both with such balance. No more compromise on your quality of life, trying to live in overcrowded big cities like New York and San Francisco. In Seattle, you can live your urban lifestyle with more affordability and ease, being surrounded by its natural beauty. 

To find out why people are continuously moving to Seattle, continue reading this article and check out the superb quality of life that the Emerald City can offer to you.

What Is It Like Living In Seattle? 

Are you an urban-dweller planning to leave a major city? If so, it would be good to know what it’s like to choose the tranquility in Seattle over the hurly-burly of San Francisco. Take a look at the following points:

1. Weather In Seattle

Contrary to popular belief, Seattle’s rainfall is actually about average, with a record of 38 inches of rain and 155 wet days per year. It has not even ranked among the 50 wettest cities in the United States. Although often damp, it rarely rains hard in the city; instead, it mostly experiences a never-ending drizzle, making umbrellas optional to locals. 

Seattle prides itself in having quite a mild climate. Aside from the usual misty rainy season, its summer and winter seasons are perfect for individuals who are already sick of living in places with harsh weather.

2. Activities To Do In Seattle 

As Washington’s largest city, you get to choose from a wide range of outdoor activity options here. If you’re adventurous, you can check out this list of common go-to outdoor activities of locals:

• Walking at the park
• Backpacking
• Hiking
• Rock climbing
• Watersports (e.g., parasailing, fishing, kayaking, and waterskiing)
• Football and Baseball

If you’re a food, art, and music enthusiast, Seattle’s vastly dynamic cultural scene may surprise you!

For instance, Kurt Cobain and Nirvana defined the city’s grunge scene during the late 1980s. Home to a more than 100-year-old collection of diverse food and art stalls, Pike Place Market is the place where Seattleites typically dine, shop, meet, and rejuvenate. Seattle’s coffee scene is also remarkable, giving birth to the largest American multinational chain of coffeehouses, Starbucks.

3. People In Seattle

‘Seattle Freeze’ is a phenomenon that popularized the idea that making new friends in the city would be especially difficult for migrants. Although there’s some truth to it, just as moving to any other place in the world, a simple greeting mixed with a little bit of perseverance would easily thaw out this notion. 

People in Seattle are not as mean-spirited as they’re branded to be, they’re actually friendly and nice to people around them, especially to those they share their interests with. Many are coffee-lovers that drive Seattleites as alive as the people in New York—the city that never sleeps. Lastly, they live quite a balanced urban lifestyle in Seattle.

Superb Quality Of Life

1. Literature And Education

Holding the title “America’s most educated big city”, Seattle is committed to providing its youth with affordable, high-quality, and world-class education. It’s actually a great idea to send your kids to campuses in the city because both public and private school districts perform well. The clean air, low crime rate, and premier education should make it easier for your children to live and study well in the city.

2. Health Care And Social Assistance

With the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the need for excellent health care and social assistance within your locality is at its peak. Fortunately, Seattle is home to a nationally-ranked hospital, one that won 10th best hospital city in the US and recognized as 13th best health care provider in the world.

3. Job Opportunities 

Known as the 9th best place to live in America and the top city for young professionals to move into, Seattle’s strong economy offers its citizens better-paying job opportunities in industries such as retail and fashion, manufacturing and construction, biotech and health care, and even maritime.

Also, there are many massive international companies headquartered in the city, including Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, and Nordstrom, which means there are more employment opportunities to build your career here.

Moving To Seattle? Costs Of Relocation And Living 

With the booming economic industry, home prices and the cost of living in Seattle are gradually increasing; however, it’s still not as high if compared to big hubs like San Francisco or New York. Here are some costs you should consider before moving to Seattle:

1. Buying Or Renting The Right House

If it’s within your budget, investing in homeownership in Seattle makes more financial sense, so it’s good that you become familiar with a Seattle home buying guide. Whether you’re planning to buy or rent a house, costs will highly depend on the location where you’re settling in. 

Choose the best location you can afford; note that average rent in Seattle can go over USD$2,000 for a two-bedroom apartment while the median home price is at USD$680,000. This may vary depending on the location, size, and quality of your property.

For instance, some neighborhoods like Lower Queen Anne and Capitol Hill can be slightly more affordable than the highly expensive district such as downtown Seattle.

2. Cost Of Living 

At a rate of 56.7% above US average, Seattle’s cost of living is still much cheaper as compared to that of big hubs like San Francisco with 94.7% above US average or Manhattan, New York with over 145.7% above the US average.

To live comfortably in the city, take note that the monthly average living costs for individuals are about USD$1,179 while a family of four would need a budget amounting to USD$4,228.

 Is It A Good Decision To Move To Seattle?

Definitely! Seattle is the best place that can offer a superb quality of life both to single individuals and people with families of their own. Seattle’s climate is just perfect and the city’s facilities and services are top-notch. The cost of living is not as high as that of the major cities, and the opportunities are endless with many huge companies headquartered in the area.

By now, this article should help convince you to follow the move of urban-dwellers settling in Seattle, a place where you can still live your city life and be surrounded by nature at the same time.