The Biggest Lie in WA State Is That Seattle Is an Unlivable City

News stories always seem to focus on how expensive it is to live in Seattle. It even has a reputation for being one of the most expensive cities in the nation. The fact is, however, that despite the spike in living costs, people from smaller cities aren't giving up on their dream to live in the Emerald City.

This means that big opportunities are still available in Washington's biggest city; higher wages are the glue that helps people to afford living there. It's a big lie that Seattle is unlivable, well, unaffordable might be a better word--it is possible and perhaps within your reach.

Where Workers in Washington Are Fleeing to Find a Livable Salary

People from Yakima, Bremerton, Bellingham, Spokane, and Vancouver moved to Seattle in droves in 2025, as evidenced by all the U-Haul rentals. Let's look at the cost of living and housing comparison for these cities and what types of high paying jobs movers are finding in Seattle.

https://www.uhaul.com/Articles/About/U-Haul-2025-Midyear-Migration-Trends-35212/
These 5 cities were identified by U-Haul as the places where people are moving to Seattle the most: Spokane, Vancouver, Bellingham, Bremerton, and Yakima.

But why these particular cities? And how can these movers afford to move to such an expensive city? Is it because the people who are moving to Seattle from these cities "well off" and can actually afford to move there, whereas lower-income folks can't?

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See Also: Washington’s Top 3 Favorite Ski Resorts Revealed

Economic Necessity Drives WA Migration

Why are so many people leaving Yakima (and the other cities mentioned above) for Seattle lately? The answer is they are finding higher paying jobs in Seattle and can afford to move.

The highest paying jobs are in the tech, software engineering, finance, aerospace, and corporate headquarter industries.

Read More: Californians Moving to Washington State Are in for a Rude Awakening

STICKER SHOCK: How much more expensive is it to live in Seattle?

Cost of Living Comparison

Apartments.com has a handy cost of living calculator. I used it to reveal the difference in living costs for 2025.

• Seattle is 41% higher than Yakima
• Seattle is 20% higher than Bremerton
• Seattle is 46% higher than Spokane
• Seattle is 35% higher than Vancouver
• Seattle is 18% higher than Bellingham

Cost of Housing Comparison

BestPlaces.net has a few statistics that are eye-opening.

• Seattle is 119% higher than Yakima
• Seattle is 52% higher than Bremerton
• Seattle is 140% higher than Spokane
• Seattle is 101% higher than Vancouver
• Seattle is 47% higher than Bellingham

I guess the moral of this story is, if you want to move to Seattle but can't afford it yet, brush up on your digital and technical skills so that you can snag one of these high-paying Seattle jobs!

Other U.S. cities bringing an influx of people moving to Seattle this year included Portland, Denver, L.A., Phoenix, and the Bay area.