Would you move to Seattle on $80K a year?

[Anonymous]

DH and I make $120K here and our budget is tight due to high rent and daycare. DD is almost 2. I am a finalist for a job in Seattle, and while I don't know the exact salary, it's probably in the lower end of the range $80-88K. DH wouldn't have a job lined up and is not in a high-paying field. We would love to move to Seattle and have family/friends there, no family here or within 2000 miles. I am a fed and have little salary growth potential but a fair amount of stability here; the salary potential growth and stability are about the same. We have healthy savings but would like to use that for a house someday. I'd love to hear from anyone who made a similar move, whether to Seattle or to a much-lower-paying job in a not-much-lower-cost-of-living area.

[Anonymous]

I love Seattle. I say go for it! If you are only staying for future job opportunities for yourself, don't forget you can always move back to DC down the line. It will be here.

[Anonymous]

move... your DH will get a job and seattle is cheaper. worth it to be near family in a more sane part of the country.

[Anonymous]

Seattle isn't *that* much cheaper than here (and some things may be more expensive), but I assume your husband could get some kind of job making at least $25k? If so, seems to be a wash from a HHI standpoint so go ahead and move if you think you'll be happier there...

My husband is from Seattle, and while we love it there, the weather truly depresses me too much.

[Anonymous]

I LOVE Seattle. I lived there for several years and literally dream of moving back. It's a wonderful city as far as quality of life. I love the people, lifestyle, the landscape/nature. I love the weather--much more mild than here, not humid. Lots of overcast days but less rain than here (contrary to myth). I was much happier there.

However, it is not a cheap city to live in, especially real estate. The thing about the economy there is that it is flooded with educated people and is oversaturated. Typically, Seattle is hit hard by economic downturns and takes longer to recover. It still hadn't recovered from the internet bubble bursting when the latest troubles started. Seattle is such a wonderful place that people move there and want to live there even if they are underemployed. Unemployment is quite high in Seattle and the surrounding area. Washington state unemployment is usually close to the highest in the country.

Real estate is just about as expensive as here. Salaries are not as high as here. You'll likely pay less in childcare and other things but not housing. Taking into account the high cost of housing, Seattle is usually ranked in the top three most expensive places to live, sometimes the first. This is because of the high cost of living relative to the low pay. Salaries are just so low there. It's changing a little and depends on the field but this is generally true. I'm a lawyer and my firm is a large nat'l firm (biglaw). Our Seattle office salaries are ridiculously low. I'm trying to find a job out there in my field where I can at least not take a big, big cut.

As to whether you should move--that is a hard call. Lots of people live on $80K, it depends on what kind of lifestyle you want. For me a huge question would be your DH's job. Moving out there without one is ok but do your homework on his field out there or how willing he'd be to switch careers. This economy is brutal--and we're largely insulated in DC compared to elsewhere. Also really look at housing and what you could afford out there. Renting may well be better than buying.

[Anonymous]

Check the locality pay for Seattle. Taxes? Budget for no pay increases, paying more towards a Federal Health plan, and contributing more towards your pension.

[Anonymous]

Be careful; Seattle isn't much cheaper, so don't go expecting lots of spare $ leftover for trips and college savings. Don't go expecting DH to be a SAHD.

If you are a Fed, then you will be working downtown in that one federal building, right? Commutes to downtown from the "better school, yet cheaper" eastern suburbs SUCK because you have to cross a bridge. That's a cruel trade-off. You can live closer into the city, but the schools are crapshoot/lottery, and your housing prices just went waaay up at the same time.

[Anonymous]

I'd look for one of those cost-of-living calculators which tells you what it costs here and what it would cost there to live.

Seattle is not inexpensive! It's pretty pricy like here.

[Anonymous]

http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-living-calculator.aspx

[Anonymous]

OP here -- thanks for the responses. My original post wasn't clear, but I won't be a fed in Seattle -- moving to nonprofit world. I will be working in downtown, however. My research suggests housing and daycare are somewhat cheaper, but not much. No state income tax. I'm worried about the job market for DH there, too. He is a teacher and there are huge layoffs there.

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the PP who loves Seattle but cautions about the economy/cost of living. I'd say you need to very seriously investigate what the market is like for teachers. There are lots of private schools in the Seattle area, specially on the "west side" (over the bridge into the Bellevue and Kirkland, where Microsoft and the IT companies are), so check that out too.

$80K in Seattle is more or less like $80K here. It's not like going down to $80K but being in Tulsa or something. Having said that, lots of people live on $80K total (not just one spouse's income) and it's doable and you can have a nice life. And you'd be in Seattle. If you have a feel for Seattle and think you'd be happy there (happier than here, especially), go for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of the PP who loves Seattle but cautions about the economy/cost of living. I'd say you need to very seriously investigate what the market is like for teachers. There are lots of private schools in the Seattle area, specially on the "west side" (over the bridge into the Bellevue and Kirkland, where Microsoft and the IT companies are), so check that out too.

$80K in Seattle is more or less like $80K here. It's not like going down to $80K but being in Tulsa or something. Having said that, lots of people live on $80K total (not just one spouse's income) and it's doable and you can have a nice life. And you'd be in Seattle. If you have a feel for Seattle and think you'd be happy there (happier than here, especially), go for it.

NP, here. Interesting, because the calculator says otherwise???

[Anonymous]

It's because the calculator compares dc and inner suburbs with a big swath of the Seattle area. There are areas like West Seattle or Everett that aren't expensive, but would be a frustrating commute. I have friends who commute by rail from Tacoma which is totally affordable and a nice mid sized city with a great culture of its own. But, looking for a teaching job in WA is hard. I think one big cost of living difference is that people don't care about money as much over there; people do a lot of outdoor activities; wear jeans and fleece sweatshirts everywhere; buy micro-brews not fancy cocktails. And your friends won't likely make much more than you. So it'll be a change and your husband might need to think about career change but if you want to live there, you can make it work for 80.

[Anonymous]

I'm from Seattle and totally would assuming my DH got an equally good tech job somewhere. Growing up on the eastside my parents made 160K and we were top earners...but Mircosoft changed the game and housing all over became incredibly higher. That bing said prices are near 2003 pre bubble. Commute east to Seattle is a nightmare. Mercer island is the best suburbs and super expensive...hard call really.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if I would. Friends of mine lived in Seattle for awhile and they said that the real estate prices and traffic were not a particular improvement over here. And they *each* make over $85K. (they ended up moving to Austin.)