Moving from Columbus to Seattle
Moving from Columbus to Seattle
You'd keep $761 more a month in Seattle. +$9,132 a year.
Who already made this move
In 2022-2023, 276 households moved Columbus → Seattle (about 427 people, average AGI $94,159). 172 households went the other way.
Source: IRS SOI county-to-county migration. Not a moving company; not a recommendation.
| Per month | Columbus | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Take-home | $5,695 | $7,299 |
| Rent | $1,174 | $1,761 |
| All other costs | $1,875 | $2,131 |
| Left over | $2,646 | $3,407 |
Full line-by-line comparison →
What the move itself costs
About 2,391 road miles, 1 bedroom. Typical ranges, not quotes.
- Full-service mover
- $4,250–$8,000
- Container or pod
- $3,050–$5,750
- Rent a truck
- $1,950–$3,650
Dig into Seattle
Paycheck
Take-home pay after tax and rent, and what's left at the end of the month.
Who moved
Which metros people actually left and arrived from, according to IRS tax returns.
Rent vs buy
Asking rent, the median home, property tax, and months to a down payment.
Monthly costs
Groceries, getting around, utilities, healthcare and childcare at your household size.
Daily life
Homicide and firearm death rates, heat, cars and commute.
Kids
Public-school enrollment, pupil–teacher ratio, bedrooms and childcare.
Getting there
What the move itself costs from where you live now, and how to find a mover you can trust.
Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Seattle than Columbus?
A one-bedroom is about $1,174 in Columbus versus $1,761 in Seattle. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $761 a month higher in Seattle. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Seattle have state income tax?
Seattle is in Washington, which has no state income tax.
Did people actually move from Columbus to Seattle?
When IRS county-to-county data covers this pair, the page lists how many households made the Columbus → Seattle move and their average AGI. Leftover after tax and rent is shown for the same household on both sides.