City safety & data profile

SeattleWA

Seattle, WA is a 781K-resident city in King County with a median household income of $123,860.

King County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Seattle, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Seattle has a population larger than 99% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $938,600, and 9 hospitals serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-19

781K
Population
Top 1%
By size
$123,860
Median income
$938,600
Median home
9.9%
Poverty rate

The read on Seattle

Seattle posts a median household income higher than 84% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 9 hospitals serve the Seattle area.

Top 16%
by median income, US cities
9
hospitals in & near Seattle

Where Seattle income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$123,860 Top 16% higher than 84% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Seattle, WA beyond the headline numbers

Seattle sits inside King County, Washington, at roughly 47.61°N, -122.33°W. Population 780,995, $123,860 median household income. Median home value $938,600, median rent $2,030. Poverty rate 9.9%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Seattle's highest-prevalence health measure is short sleep duration at 29%, then high blood pressure at 23.6%. 9 hospitals in/around Seattle, 3.8/5 avg rating, 6 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Seattle from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
780,995
Seattle
Median Income
$123,860
+82% vs avg
Median Home Value
$938,600
+312% vs avg
Median Age
35.6
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (King County) - Seattle's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
2.3M+16%
Median Income
$124,746+74%
Median Home Value
$859,900+128%
Poverty Rate
8.6%-25%
Unemployment
4.8%-38%

Economics

Economics indicators for Seattle, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$2,030/mo
Poverty Rate
9.9% -30% vs avg
Unemployment 4.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 68.4%
Work From Home 34.8%
Public Transit 11.9%

Population

White 60.3%
African American 6.5%
Asian 17.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 7.1%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Short Sleep Duration
29%
High Blood Pressure
23.6%
Obesity
22.2%
Binge Drinking
19%
Frequent Mental Distress
15.3%
Physical Inactivity
12.2%
Current Asthma
9.9%
Frequent Physical Distress
8.8%
Current Smoking
6.5%
Diabetes
6.1%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 71.3%
Annual Checkup 68.3%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
6.1%
Coronary Heart Disease
3.4%
Stroke
1.9%

Hospitals 9 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
1
★★★★
4
★★★
0
★★
1
★
0
Average Rating
3.8/5
Total Hospitals
9
With ER
6
VIRGINIA MASON MEDICAL CENTER
SEATTLE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★★
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON MEDICAL CTR
SEATTLE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER / CHERRY HILL
SEATTLE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
SWEDISH MEDICAL CENTER
SEATTLE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★★☆
SEATTLE VA MEDICAL CENTER (VA PUGET SOUND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM)
SEATTLE · Acute Care - Veterans Administration · ER
★★★★☆
HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER
SEATTLE · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★☆☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Seattle, WA? ▼
Seattle, WA has a population of 780,995 people, located in King County, Washington.
What is the median household income in Seattle? ▼
The median household income in Seattle, WA is $123,860 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 9.9%.
What is the median home value in Seattle? ▼
The median home value in Seattle, WA is $938,600. Median rent is $2,030/month.
What are the top health concerns in Seattle? ▼
The top health indicators in Seattle include Short Sleep Duration (29%), High Blood Pressure (23.6%), Obesity (22.2%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Seattle? ▼
Seattle has 9 hospitals with an average rating of 3.8/5 stars. 6 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Seattle? ▼
The median age in Seattle, WA is 35.6 years. 68.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Seattle, WA is located in King County, Washington. With a population of 781K and a $123,860 median household income, the community faces health challenges including short sleep duration and high blood pressure. Residents have access to 9 hospitals with an average rating of 3.8/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Seattle area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Washington

Real-time AQI for every monitored Washington location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Columbia City, WA 19K Greenwood, WA 12K White Center, WA 13K Mercer Island, WA 25K Bellevue, WA 140K Burien, WA 50K Bryn Mawr-Skyway, WA 16K Kirkland, WA 87K
All cities in Washington → Compare Seattle vs Columbia City → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Seattle's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Seattle area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Seattle against Washington peers on any ranking lens. Explore Washington

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (King County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.