Seattle and Denver 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
Seattle
Denver
Opportunity
57 · Top 48%
vs56 · Bottom 49%
Growth
62 · Top 31%
vs64 · Top 24%
Climate
74 · Top 35%
vs59 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 29%
vs44 · Bottom 31%
Housing affordability
59 · Bottom 34%
vs57 · Bottom 27%
Access
95 · Bottom 30%
vs98 · Top 32%
Economic stability
68 · Top 9%
vs67 · Top 13%
Measured values
| Metric | Seattle | Denver | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 754,195 | 718,877 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $123,860 | $94,718 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $86,095 | $64,163 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 8,979/sq mi | 4,696/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $938,600 | $616,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $2,030 | $1,831 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 43.7% | 48.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.7% | 4.1% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.6% | -2.9% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 68.4% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.9% | 11.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 4,827 | 6,441 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.4 | 9.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 25.0% | 95.4% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 77°F | 90°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 18°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.8" | 15.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 7 mi | 13 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.1 min | 26.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 35.6 | 35.3 | 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
Seattle
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake.
Denver
Elevated or high exposure: hail, tornado.
Full profiles: Seattle, WA · Denver, CO · How this is calculated: methodology