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Seattle has gotten more crowded, more expensive ( even outside the city) and property taxes are nuts.
If you can go far out I’d do it. More space and prettier
Generally safer to be in seattle. Our summers in seatte is the best. Fall through mid spring is pretty gray here. Food is better in San Diego and you’re closer to Mexico, which is nice. Idk, I’m convinced San Diego is better but I do enjoy the cool weather herein seattle. It’s a nice view all around, your surrounded by water and mountains. It’s clean air (for the most part). Good luck with your search.
0% income tax in Seattle. All four seasons here too.
I do feel like even with the insane housing prices in Seattle area that you can still get way more value than in CA.
Do you want to see attractive people?
Yes -> San Diego
No -> Seattle
Seattle is just more grungy. But I’ll admit, you’ll probably find sexier people in San Diego. But they age faster there by being under the sun all year round whereas in seattle you’ll find the opposite. Oh, and seattle is very very white.
Please stop moving to Seattle we are full
HAHAHAH this comment wins.
My husbands from Seattle so we go up very frequently. I'm from San Diego and we currently live here. Seattle has better restaurants and better "city" type things to do (better sports teams, more museums, more nightlife etc). San Diego is way better if you like to do things outdoors though - like seriously, I'm not exaggerating when I say 350+ days of beautiful weather every year lol. Whereas Seattle, it's literally raining 5 of 7 days a week for all months except June through September. If you love seasons though, San Diego is not for you - the most "season" we see is May and June when it's "May grey" and "June Gloom" (ie when the sun is masked by clouds and it gets "cold" at 67* F). Wages are higher in Seattle (both gross wages and the fact that you have 0% income tax), but sales taxes, housing prices, and housing taxes are SO high in Seattle and surrounding areas - we definitely got WAY more house for our money in SD, AND it's in a way nicer area compared to what we could get in Seattle - and our property taxes are capped (LOVE CA's Prop 13 ❤️). As far as "friendliness", both cities suck for making new friends and being accepting of outsiders. I'd say San Diego us slightly better than Seattle (Seattle "freeze" is what they're known for) but they both suck lol.
There’s a big difference between 1.5 hours and guaranteed snow (Seattle) vs. 3 hours for hit-or-miss snow (SD).
Lived in San Diego for over 5 years (several times: early 2000s + as recent as 2017). Have now lived in Seattle since 2017.
Taxes: Seattle > San Diego. Sales tax is about same, no state income in WA, property tax might be higher - depends on where you live (I had a house near ocean in Oceanside in 2017, and property tax% were similar to Seattle proper). You also get buckled and dimed on a lot of other taxes (sin tax for liquor and sun tanning, sewer tax for homes built in last 10 years, etc.) Overall, we own more a expensive home here than we did in SD but pay so much less in total taxes thanks to no state income tax.
Cost of living: about equal. Find most goods (groceries, clothing, etc) to be about the same. Housing is similar as well — again, depending on where you live within each city. If you want to live closer to city center, you pay more.
Weather: San Diego > Seattle. You can’t argue with 70 and sunny nearly every day. That all said, Seattle isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. It snows 2-3x a year, usually melts within a day or two; winter days often start out gray but it’s rare to go more than a week without seeing the sun. I originally grew up in MN, and it’s much more gray and colder there.
Things to do: about equal. There’s so much to do in both places. You can get outside nearly every day in both places. You can explore water and mountains within easy drives in both places. You can explore multiple national parks within easy driving in both places. There are lots of restaurant/solid dining options in both places (although good luck finding a decent San Diego-style burrito in Seattle), and lots of museums, shows, and touristy landmarks to explore.
People: San Diego > Seattle. Seattle freeze is real. You can get around it, but it’s a thing. San Diegans seem more laid back. Lots of transplants in both cities, and it largely comes down to where exactly you live and the types of things you do to meet people. You can find your tribe in any city, just need to know where to look.
That all said, we’re staying in Seattle for time being because we’re better off financially and really like our lifestyle here. But I do go visit San Diego at least once a year, and it always feels more like “home” than anywhere else I’ve lived. Wouldn’t surprise me if we move back there at some point.
I grew up in Seattle area. Depending on your budget, you are looking way outside of downtown Seattle. If you’ve not lived anywhere in northern climate, be prepared for many gray cloudy days. The rain is usually a drizzle.
San Diego is probably a better bet for home affordability and access to warmer waters. Not sure about the nature aspect of SD.
Seattle airport is larger than SD I think, so if you travel a lot, it’s probably cheaper than SD.
Seattle is a lot more diverse than SD too. So, if you are a foodie or like a variety of foods, Seattle’s probably the better place to be.
Do you want your wildfire smoke in December or August?
These are my two favorite cities in the US. My wife likes trees and mountains, so we ended up in Seattle.
Both cities are great for being outdoors, but it's very different. Summers have pretty similar weather, but swimming in the Puget Sound isn't nearly as comfortable. The winters in Seattle are cool and wet. Some people hate that, but I don't mind it all. I love skiing and snowshoeing around Snoqualmie, and I hike more in the winter than the summer because I don't mind the drizzle at all (kinda like it actually).
All the other factors are less important to me, but now that I'm settled up here, I wouldn't consider moving to San Diego, even though I love every minute I visit.
I’ve lived in both areas and also have lived a few months in Texas. I think it comes down to if you enjoy sunny weather or not. Seattle is definitely four seasons and I’d have to say has one of the best outdoor activities, even if not sunny. Less tax, and better housing market than California. More bang for your buck in my opinion. May just need to adjust to the weather. It did take us two years to fully adjust coming from Sunny SoCal. But we learned to love the slower pace of life here.
If you are lower income, California is better. The state income tax helps lower relative daily costs and homeownership. If you’re high income, Seattle is better and because you retain most of your income and only pay for sales transactions.
Personally, I’d rather live in Seattle than SD for family life. Yes SD has great weather but I like the communities around Seattle more. Seattle freeze is pretty much in the city itself; outside its your normal suburbia but there’s better food, easier to go see shows, and better airport
Just be ok with what others consider unfriendly behavior in Seattle/Google the Seattle freeze
The rain and the dark of Seattle winters are no bullshit. It starts to rain around Halloween, and is overcast and rainy 7 days out of 10 until Easter.
At the winter solstice, there are about 8 hours of (diffuse, overcast) daylight: the sun rises at 8 and sets at 4.
Seasonal Affective Disorder and depression are real things.
You will need a full set of Gore Tex clothes, from head to fingertips to toes.