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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
The gap is staggering: 68 points separate #1 Bellevue (index 169) from #8 Spokane (index 101) within Washington. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 67% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 8 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
#1 Ranked: Bellevue — cost index 169, rent $2,582/mo, income $161,300
Bellevue is a clear outlier at index 169
4 of 8 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
The gap is staggering: 68 points separate #1 Bellevue (index 169) from #8 Spokane (index 101) within Washington. That spread means your housing, groceries, and daily expenses can cost 67% more depending on which city you choose. Here are all 8 cities, ranked with 2026 data.
Bellevue is a clear outlier at index 169. #1-ranked Bellevue has a cost index 38 points higher than the top-5 average of 131. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own. About what you'd guess.
At $2,582/month for rent and a cost index of 169, Bellevue is pretty much what you'd expect from a mid-size city in this part of the country. Income is $161,300. Take it or leave it — the data is what it is.
The ranking uses a composite of 2026 data from Census Bureau population/income surveys, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary benchmarks, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Bellevue (index 169, rent $2,582); Seattle (index 134, rent $2,187); Kent (index 121, rent $1,943). Each city profile below links to the full detail page with 12-month trends, salary breakdowns, and cost category comparisons.
An outlier in the best sense.
What's equally notable: Here's the state-level backdrop: Washington averages a 121 cost index, $1,890/mo rent, and $94,210 income across 8 cities. That's $5 less than the national rent average. No income tax, Seattle tech salaries, and rain-city premiums — and that context shapes every city in this ranking.
Bottom line: Bellevue leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
#1-ranked Bellevue has a cost index 38 points higher than the top-5 average of 131. That's not a marginal lead — it's a category of its own.
Rent ranges from $2,582/mo in Bellevue to $1,456/mo in Spokane — a monthly difference of $1,126, or $13,512 per year.
Bellevue (index 169) and Spokane (index 101) sit 68 points apart on the cost index — proof that Washington is far from monolithic in affordability.
| Rank | City | Median Income | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bellevue | $161,300 | 169 | $2,582 | Details |
| 2 | Seattle | $121,984 | 134 | $2,187 | Details |
| 3 | Kent | $90,416 | 121 | $1,943 | Details |
| 4 | Tacoma | $83,857 | 110 | $1,755 | Details |
| 5 | Everett | $81,502 | 120 | $1,918 | Details |
| 6 | Vancouver | $78,156 | 111 | $1,769 | Details |
| 7 | Spokane Valley | $70,722 | 103 | $1,509 | Details |
| 8 | Spokane | $65,745 | 101 | $1,456 | Details |
151,574 residents · Washington
The #1 spot goes to Bellevue, and the breakdown explains why. Renters here pay $2,582/month — costing renters $8,244 more per year compared to the national average. Meanwhile, Utilities is the standout at index 156, keeping costs manageable. The weak spot? Housing at 273. At a 19% rent-to-income ratio, there's genuine breathing room in the average household budget.
755,078 residents · Washington
Here's Seattle by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 134. Rent: $2,187/month — we had to double-check this one — . Income: $121,984/year. Home price: $848,869. Population: 755,078. The strongest category is Utilities at 123; the most expensive is Housing at 184. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $3,504 more per year vs. the national median. The practical impact: more room for childcare, savings, or just breathing room.
133,378 residents · Washington
A closer look at Kent: the cost index of 121 breaks down to a Utilities index of 111 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 152 (weakest). Pretty standard for this type of city. Median rent is $1,943/month — 3% above the national median — while household income sits at $90,416, meaning locals spend about 26% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
222,906 residents · Washington
A closer look at Tacoma: the cost index of 110 breaks down to a Utilities index of 102 (strongest category) and a Housing index of 126 (weakest). Median rent is $1,755/month — 7% below the national median — while household income sits at $83,857, meaning locals spend about 25% of income on rent. That's within the recommended 30% threshold, though it doesn't leave much room.
111,180 residents · Washington
Here's Everett by the numbers — and there's a lot to like. Cost index: 120. Rent: $1,918/month. Income: $81,502/year. Home price: $652,113. Population: 111,180. The strongest category is Utilities at 111; the most expensive is Housing at 151. Translate that rent to annual numbers, and residents are costing renters $276 more per year vs. the national median. That's the kind of affordability that turns 'maybe someday' into 'next month.'
| City | State Tax | Sales Tax | Property Tax | Est. Take-Home |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1Bellevue | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
2Seattle | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
3Kent | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
4Tacoma | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
5Everett | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
6Vancouver | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
7Spokane Valley | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
8Spokane | 0% | 10.6% | 0.84% | $117,206 |
Cities are ranked by median household income from Census ACS data. We also show cost-adjusted purchasing power (income ÷ cost index) to reveal which high-income cities actually deliver the most real-world spending power. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
Bellevue ranks #1 in Washington for this analysis with a cost index of 169 and median income of $161,300.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
Bellevue (ranked #1) has a cost index of 169 and rent of $2,582/mo, while Spokane (ranked #8) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,456/mo — a 68-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in Bellevue is $2,582/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $687 above the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in Bellevue is $1,485,210, which is 9.2× the local median income. Most median-income households would stretch to buy at this ratio. The national median home price is $467,370.
Washington has a 0% state income tax rate — one of the states with no income tax. Combined state and local sales tax averages 10.6%, and the effective property tax rate is 0.84%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.