Buying the median home in Seattle means financing $780,000. Against the area's $110,000 median household income, that works out to a 7.1x price-to-income ratio.
Property taxes in Seattle run 0.92% of assessed value, below the 1.1% national average. On the median home, that's $7,176 a year, or $598 added to the monthly payment.
Washington charges no state income tax. Every dollar of the $110,000 median household income here converts more directly into covering the $4,968/month payment.
Seattle's cost of living index is 152, above the 100 national baseline. That's on top of the housing numbers above, not instead of them.
Seattle's median home price runs 144% higher than nearby Spokane: $320,000 there versus $780,000 here.