Phoenix vs Seattle
The short version
- Phoenix is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 7% lower than in the Seattle area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $420,700 in Phoenix and $938,600 in Seattle.
- Households earn more in Seattle ($123,860 vs $81,332 median).
- Phoenix has the warmer winter: January highs of 68°F vs 47°F.
- Phoenix has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 2.
- Seattle is growing faster: +6.5% since 2020 vs +3.6%.
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Arizona's top rate is 2.5%.
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,665,481 | 784,777 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +6.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,213 | 9,343 |
| Median age | 34.9 | 35.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 68% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $81,332 | $123,860 |
| Median home value | $420,700 | $938,600 |
| Home value to income | 5.2× | 7.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,582 | $2,030 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.3 | 111.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 121.2 | 151.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,500 | $83,300 |
| Homeowners | 57% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | 2.5% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.54% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.6 | 26.0 |
| Work from home | 19% | 35% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 12% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 9.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 46° | 47° / 37° |
| July high / low | 107° / 85° | 77° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 7 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 173 | 2 |
| Nights below freezing | 1 | 25 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.8% | +24.6% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Phoenix: November to April. Seattle: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Phoenix weather by month and Seattle weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,500 in Phoenix and $83,300 in Seattle. Moving from Phoenix to Seattle, you would need about $80,700 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Phoenix and Seattle
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Phoenix and Seattle.
Which would you pick?
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