Seattle, WA vs Washington, DC

Seattle, WA comes out ahead of Washington, DC on 31 of 48 statistics where one end is better, to 17. Seattle, WA leads on Economics. Washington, DC leads on Crime & Safety.

48 statistics with a better end, compared

Each counts once for the place that ranks better. Totals that mostly track population are left out.

Wins
31
Avg. percentile
47
Categories led
1
Wins
17
Avg. percentile
37
Categories led
1

At a glance

Headline statistics, each ranked among all US cities.

StatisticSeattle, WAWashington, DC
Population
792,909
18th of 477
698,733
22nd of 477
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$123,860
49th of 434
$109,870
65th of 434
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$938,600
394th of 434
$737,100
376th of 434
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
9.88%
113th of 434
15.4%
241st of 434
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
111.1
tied 411th of 460
108.9
tied 384th of 460
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)
$91,790
tied 34th of 460
$91,930
tied 24th of 460
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$2,030
tied 369th of 434
$1,954
354th of 434
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
698.7
318th of 395
746.8
329th of 395

By category

Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.

  • Crime & SafetyWashington, DC · 5 statistics
  • EconomicsSeattle, WA · 14 statistics

Biggest differences

The 19 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 239 US cities.

StatisticSeattle, WAWashington, DC
Burglary Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
975.9
392nd of 395
193.3
172nd of 395
Murder Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
4.4
232nd of 395
16.6
368th of 395
Homes with Broadband Internet (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
94.5%
93rd of 434
91.2%
241st of 434
Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
9.88%
113th of 434
15.4%
241st of 434
Average Commute (Minutes)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
26.0
311th of 434
30.0
384th of 434
Price Level (Other Services)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
106.8
tied 449th of 460
102.3
tied 371st of 460
Price Level (Utilities)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
92.8
tied 262nd of 460
106.7
tied 329th of 460
Property Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
4,419.6
382nd of 395
3,070.2
329th of 395
Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
111.1
tied 411th of 460
108.9
tied 384th of 460
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$938,600
394th of 434
$737,100
376th of 434
Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$123,860
49th of 434
$109,870
65th of 434
Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
$2,030
tied 369th of 434
$1,954
354th of 434
Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
698.7
318th of 395
746.8
329th of 395
Bachelor’s Degree or Higher (% of Adults 25+)Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)
68.4%
37th of 434
64.2%
48th of 434
Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)
$91,790
tied 34th of 460
$91,930
tied 24th of 460
Median Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by City (Metro Area, BLS)
$72,610
tied 24th of 460
$71,060
tied 30th of 460
Price Level (Goods)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
104.0
tied 356th of 460
104.8
tied 362nd of 460
Price Level (Housing Rents)Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)
151.3
tied 400th of 460
151.1
tied 390th of 460
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by City (FBI)
733.9
376th of 395
650.5
371st of 395
See every statistic they shareSearch and sort all of them, adjust for cost of living or population, or add up to two more places.

Quick answers

Which is better, Seattle, WA or Washington, DC?
Seattle, WA comes out ahead of Washington, DC on 31 of 48 statistics where one end is better, to 17. Seattle, WA leads on Economics. Washington, DC leads on Crime & Safety. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
Which has more people, Seattle, WA or Washington, DC?
Seattle, WA has a population of 792,909 (18th of 477 US cities) and Washington, DC has 698,733 (22nd of 477).
How do Seattle, WA and Washington, DC compare on Median Household Income?
Median Household Income: Seattle, WA $123,860 (49th of 434), Washington, DC $109,870 (65th of 434) among US cities. Seattle, WA ranks better.
How do Seattle, WA and Washington, DC compare on Median Home Value (Capped at $2M)?
Median Home Value (Capped at $2M): Seattle, WA $938,600 (394th of 434), Washington, DC $737,100 (376th of 434) among US cities. Washington, DC ranks better.
Where does Seattle, WA beat Washington, DC most clearly?
Seattle, WA ranks far ahead on Murder Rate (per 100K) (Crime Rates by City (FBI)): 4.4 vs 16.6; Homes with Broadband Internet (%) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 94.5% vs 91.2%; Poverty Rate (%) (Housing, Income and Commutes by City (Census)): 9.88% vs 15.4%.
Where does Washington, DC beat Seattle, WA most clearly?
Washington, DC ranks far ahead on Burglary Rate (per 100K) (Crime Rates by City (FBI)): 193.3 vs 975.9; Price Level (Other Services) (Cost of Living by City (Metro Price Parities)): 102.3 vs 106.8; Property Crime Rate (per 100K) (Crime Rates by City (FBI)): 3,070.2 vs 4,419.6.

More matchups

Other comparisons with Seattle, WA or Washington, DC.