What it's like to live in SeaTac
SeaTac is a small city in Washington with a growing population and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. SeaTac deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- High rent burden for renters
How SeaTac compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to SeaTac
Based on SeaTac's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,320
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,400 a year
- 64% of SeaTac renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$103,940
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $51,970
- Homes cost 6.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 17% above US
$1,660/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,660 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are steep, with a median around $519,700. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $519,700 · 64% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 21% above US
5.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
297 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1930/100k · Seatac Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% take public transit; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 75°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 27% below US
26% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 26%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Klondike Gold Rush - Seattle Unit National Historical Park (11 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
SeaTac's strongest point is a growing population; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,660/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near SeaTac
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