Colorado Springs and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Measured values
| Metric | Colorado Springs | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 767,824 | 4,061,920 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $90,144 | $115,177 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $46,283 | $63,994 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 286/sq mi | 692/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $461,800 | $717,500 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,699 | $2,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.8% | 60.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 5.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -2.7% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 41.7% | 47.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.5% | 8.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 5,487 | 20,957 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 7.1 | 5.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 28.9% | 37.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 87°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 19°F | 37°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 15.9" | 34.7" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 4 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 25.2 min | 31.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.5 | 37.5 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Colorado Springs
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, hail.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Your best match
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Full profiles: Colorado Springs, CO Metro Area · Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA Metro Area · How this is calculated: methodology