Is Seattle a good place to live?

59/100 livability · United States
Seattle, United States scores 59/100 for livability — a mixed pick: cost 19/100, climate 97/100, safety 66/100. Warmest-month high ~18.6°C, coldest-month low ~4.5°C. Main natural-disaster exposure: wildfire; homicide rate ~5.8/100k. Safety 66/100 blends disaster (55) and crime (83).
Seattle — average monthly high (°C, WorldClim)
JFMAMJJASOND
Livability pillars (0-100)
19Cost97Climate66Safety
Disaster risk by type (1-5)
3Quake2Flood1Storm4Wildfire1Heat3Drought2Cold2Tsunami

How each score is calculated: CostiAffordability, 0–100. Higher = cheaper. = 100 − (country price level vs US × a city-size premium). Source: World Bank PPP ÷ exchange rate (US = 100). · ClimateiComfort, 0–100, from WorldClim monthly temperatures. Penalises hot summers (above ~24°C), cold winters (below ~6°C) and too-cool summers (below 15°C). Higher = milder. · Safetyi0–100. Higher = safer. Blends 55% natural-disaster safety (8 hazards — earthquake from real USGS records, plus flood, storm, wildfire, heat, drought, cold, tsunami) and 45% crime safety (homicide rate). · LivabilityiOverall score, 0–100 = 0.35 × Cost + 0.30 × Climate + 0.35 × Safety. (hover the i)

How to read the scores — all on a 0–100 scale, higher is better.

Natural-disaster risk in Seattle

Is Seattle at risk of wildfires?

Wildfire risk in Seattle is high (4/5), based on regional fire-weather exposure.

Is Seattle at risk of earthquakes?

Earthquake risk in Seattle is moderate (3/5). USGS records 113 magnitude-4.5+ earthquakes within 300 km since 1980.

Is Seattle prone to drought?

Drought risk in Seattle is moderate (3/5), from regional aridity and summer heat.

How scored: livability = 0.35·cost + 0.30·climate + 0.35·safety. Climate from WorldClim v2.1 normals; cost from World Bank PPP÷FX (real, open); earthquake from USGS (real); flood/storm/wildfire/drought/tsunami tiers indicative — verify before publish.

FAQ

Is Seattle a good place to live?

Seattle scores 59/100 for livability — cost 19, climate 97, safety 66.

Is Seattle safe?

Safety 66/100 = disaster safety 55 (main risk wildfire) blended with crime safety 83 (homicide ~5.8/100k).

What's the climate like in Seattle?

Warmest-month highs average ~18.6°C and coldest-month lows ~4.5°C (WorldClim climate normals).

How much does it cost to live in Seattle?

United States sits at 81/100 on the World Bank price level (US=100) — affordability score 19/100.

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