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Life in Seattle, Washington

Seattle Reviews Washington Message Board
City/State
Are you thinking of moving or relocating to Seattle, Washington? Would you like to know what the quality of life is like living in Seattle?
Erika Cox reports in this review:
WeatherHow much crime?What are the neighborhoods like?What are the people like?
Seattle is known to experience a great deal of rain throughout the year, especially during the winter months. It doesn't rain hard so there's not much flooding. It's more a light rain or misty, foggy rain. However, it can rain for several days in a row making it very dreary. The city can experience snow as it has in the past few years but it doesn't stay around for days. In the summer, the temperatures are warm but not very hot. Humidity is almost non-existent. The winters are cool and rainy. The fall is crisp and the springs are rainy with cooler temperatures. The area doesn't experience natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricans. However, earthquakes can occur.Crime in the city is more prevalent in the downtown area where there are a lot of homeless people many of them being young people. Seattle is known to have been home to some of the worse serial killers in the country. Drug use, public intoxication, theft, burglary, and robbery are the more common kinds of crime. Seattle has seen an increase in property crime. The city is not a high violent crime place but rapes and murders do happen in almost every part of the city. Shoplifting and theft are more common downtown because of the homeless and youth population that hangs out all the time.The worst part of the town in my opinion is also the best part of town, and that is the downtown area. The area is a gathering place for tourists, residents, and the homeless - young and old. Medina and Mercer Islands are definitely one of the best parts of town. They are one of the richest in the city. A ferry ride will take you to see some of the wealthiest homes in the city. Capital and Fremont Hill is home to expensive apartments. Most of the residents are White and middle to upper class.

The worse parts of Seattle would be closer to downtown and near the Space Needle - Ranier Valley and Columbia. Lots of homeless and single people, very crowded, homes are older, and most of the residents are lower to middle class. These areas have more of a mixture of Black, Asian, and Hispanic residents. The value of the homes run less than $100,000. The neighborhoods are more crowded with less space.
Most of the residents are educated and hold white-collar jobs. However because of the ports, there are many who work in the fishing industry. The city is about 65% white and 35% black. There is a large section of hippie or alternative lifestyle residents. There's pretty much a mixture of single and married people. The single population is larger in areas like downtown, Columbia, Beacon Hill, and North and West Seattle. More families like in the eastern and southern parts of the city. The city has more of a younger population. The average age is probably 35-40 years old.
Downtown AreaRestaurantsSchoolsSingle life
The downtown area is nice. It is a real downtown with plenty of places to shop and eat. There are cabs, buses, and rail light to get you back and forth. Getting around downtown is not complicated. It can be crowded though. And there is a heavy presence of homeless people. Pike's Place is a few blocks away so there's a lot to do in the downtown area. Make sure you have some good walking shoes and take a light jacket if you are in Seattle in the Spring, Winter, or Fall months because the Puget Sound will provide a cool breeze.Almost any restaurant in Pike's place is good, and that's not an understatement. The food, especially the seafood, is absolutely delicious. The IL Bistro has tasty Italian food. Pike Place Bar & Gril, Place Pigalle (enjoy the view). The Pink Door is another popular restaurant.The best school district in Seattle is the Edmond and Shoreline school districts. Edmond is close to Puget Sound area and provides many opportunities and extracurricular activities. Lake Stevens is also a good district. The public school district in Seattle is average. There is a high dropout rate. The graduation rate hovers around 70%.There are many opportunities for singles. Seattle is probably at the top of the chart when it comes to singles. There are many clubs, bars, and activities for singles. Some areas like Beacon Hill are flooded with singles.
Noisetown comparison vs.Best hospitalTourist attractions
The only unusual noise will come from Puget Sound with the ships, boats, and ferries. But it's not that bad. Seattle is not really a noisy city unless you live close to downtown and Pike's Place. And I wouldn't recommend that.Seattle is close in comparison to San Francisco but less expensive and more of a place to raise a family. To me, Seattle has a better scenery when it's not raining than San Francisco. Compared to Kansas City, Seattle has more to offer, has more diversity and a more progressive attitude. It also has a better scenery to me. You can't beat Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound. The wealthiest neighborhoods in Seattle also outshine the Leawood, KS area in Kansas City, MO. These wealthy homes in Seattle are huge and resemble expensive homes in California. The people are also more open to change and new opportunities than they are in Kansas City.Swedish Medical Center, Children's Hospital and Med Center, and Kindred Hospital are the best hospitals in the area. The Swedish Medical Center is top rated in the Northwest.The best places to visit is Pike's Place. This is a must for any visitor. Watch fish get thrown around, shop at some of the best vintage stores, eat at some of the best restuarants, and take a rest next to Puget Sound. You can catch a ferry and travel to Lake Stevens too. The Space Needle and the Experience Music Museum is another great place to visit. Be sure to go to the top of the Space Needle on a clear day so you can see Mt. Rainier. If you have the time, the right clothes, and it's during the summer months, take a trip to Mt. Rainier
General comments   
Seattle is very liberal and similar to the feel of San Francisco. The people of Seattle are sort of like Californians but more liberal and less sophisticated as far as big-city residents go. The people are laid-back and overall pretty nice, except for some that you encounter in the downtown area. There is a late-night crowd located on the west side, which is where most of the younger crowd lives. Seattle seems like it's more west in it's attitude than north even though it's located in the Northwest part of the country.   
Seattle, Washington population: 608660

How many black people live in Seattle? How many white people?
Number of White People422870Percentage of White people69.5%
Number of Black People57716Percentage of Black people9.5%
Number of Hispanic People43992Percentage of Hispanic people7.2%
Number of Asian People105481Percentage of Asian people17.3%
Number of American Indian People12549Percentage of American Indian people2.1%

Note: Numbers may add up to >100% because some people are more than one race.

Seattle, Washington

Percent college grads: 55.1%
Percent grad school grads: 21.9%
Unemployment rate: 6.3
Median house value: 456200
Median income: 60665


How many singles in Seattle?

Single men ages 20-34Single women ages 20-34Ratio of single men to women age
20-34
66446625031.06men for each woman
Single men ages 35-44Single women ages 35-44Ratio of single men to women age
35-44
24999198971.26men for each woman
Single men ages 45-54Single women ages 45-54Ratio of single men to women age
45-54
21248179571.18men for each woman


Crimes in Seattle, Washington
CrimesAbsolute numbersAverage percentage chance of being a victim in
by typeof crimesOne YearFive Years
Murders190%0%
Robberies14290%1%
Aggr. Assault19710%2%
Burglary64493%15%
Auto Theft34531%3%

Weather History for Seattle, Washington


Seattle, Washington Basic Temperatue and Weather (30 year averages)
MonthNumber of Days below zero (degrees)Number of Days 0-20's (degrees)Number of Days 20's (degrees)Number of Days 30's (degrees)Number of Days 40's (degrees)Number of Days 50's (degrees)Number of Days 60's (degrees)Number of Days 70's (degrees)Number of Days 80's (degrees)Number of Days 90's+ (degrees)
January00002740000
February00000290000
March00000310000
April000001614000
May00000031000
June000000111900
July00000003100
August00000003100
September000000111900
October000001417000
November00005250000
December00003100000
Average year0000631198410000
How many days and how much precipitation and snow for Seattle, Washington?

Number of days of rain
(.1 inch or greater)
total rainfallNumber of days of snow
(.5 inch or greater)
Total snowfall
January105.4700.9
February103.5200.9
March10300
April8200
May6200
June4100
July2000
August2000
September4100
October8300
November12500
December11612
Average year923725
Realistic temperatures, taking into account precipitation, amount of sunlight during the day, winds during the day, and humidity during hot days.

MonthNumber of Days below zero (degrees)Number of Days 0-20's (degrees)Number of Days 20's (degrees)Number of Days 30's (degrees)Number of Days 40's (degrees)Number of Days 50's (degrees)Number of Days 60's (degrees)Number of Days 70's (degrees)Number of Days 80's (degrees)Number of Days 90's+ (degrees)
January00328000000
February00023500000
March00003100000
April00002910000
May00001300000
June000001218000
July000000811120
August000000016150
September00000552000
October000016150000
November000161400000
December00031000000
Average year0039896633147270


How many hot humid days a year does Seattle, Washington have?
How many cloudy days a year does Seattle, Washington have?
How many sunny days a year does Seattle, Washington have? How sunny is it?
How many windy days a year does Seattle, Washington have? How windy is it?
See below for the answers!
MonthNumber of hot, humid daysNumber of very windy daysNumber of windy daysNumber of somewhat windy daysNumber of calm daysNumber of clear daysNumber of moderately cloudly daysNumber of somewhat cloudy daysNumber of very cloudy days
January00427031619
February00721042615
March002110032816
April00255033914
May00130043913
June00030053911
July00031011478
August00031011477
September0003009379
October00031052714
November00822031618
December00031031619
Average year00662990683694167


(Note: Humidity, wind, and cloudcover information is based on (a) 30 year averages and in many cases (b) a large nearby weather station. If you're in an area with a lot of "micro climates" actual conditions may vary.)


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Sources of information: Census, FBI Crime Statistics, NOAA
Disclaimer: The information presented here are for the general population, assume the same rate of crime in the future, and an evenly distributed amount of crime throughout the city in question. They are not meant to accurately predict whether one person in particular will be a victim of crime. Percentages are based on the population of the city/town in question, except for burglaries, which are based on the number of households.