Moving to Seattle: Who’s Moving Here and What to Expect (2026)
- Ryan Palardy,
- November 3, 2026
Quick answer: who moves to Seattle, and from where?
In the most recent IRS migration data (tax filings from 2022 to 2023), about 54,700 people moved to King County from other states, and about 48,900 moved from King County to other states. California sends the most by far, about 14,700 people a year, followed by Texas, Oregon, New York and Florida. Los Angeles is the biggest single metro, followed by New York, Portland, San Jose, Phoenix and Dallas. Counted as one region, the Bay Area sends even more than Los Angeles.
54,700People who moved to King County from other states in a year
14,700Came from California, the top source state
4,600Came from the Los Angeles area, the top single metro
+5,800Net gain from other states after counting people who left
Coming up for a scouting trip? We’ll take you through five to eight homes across a few neighborhoods in one afternoon, with real repair costs on every house you see. It’s called a learning tour, and it’s the fastest way I know to figure out where you’d actually want to live.
Where people moving to Seattle come from
These are the 25 metro areas that trade the most people with King County, ranked by moves in both directions. “Net” is people moving here minus people moving there. A positive number means Seattle won that trade.
| Rank | Metro area | Moved to King County | Moved from King County | Net | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles (incl. Orange County) | 4,625 | 3,703 | +922 | Los Angeles to Seattle |
| 2 | New York City | 2,673 | 2,753 | -80 | |
| 3 | Phoenix | 1,931 | 2,701 | -770 | |
| 4 | Portland | 2,259 | 1,849 | +410 | |
| 5 | Dallas-Fort Worth | 1,772 | 2,175 | -403 | |
| 6 | San Jose / Silicon Valley | 2,036 | 1,725 | +311 | |
| 7 | San Diego | 1,591 | 1,592 | -1 | |
| 8 | Washington, DC | 1,627 | 1,488 | +139 | |
| 9 | San Francisco | 1,592 | 1,486 | +106 | |
| 10 | Chicago | 1,609 | 1,264 | +345 | |
| 11 | East Bay (Oakland / Berkeley) | 1,639 | 1,127 | +512 | |
| 12 | Austin | 1,043 | 1,617 | -574 | Austin to Seattle |
| 13 | Denver | 1,152 | 1,115 | +37 | |
| 14 | Houston | 1,167 | 1,059 | +108 | |
| 15 | Boston | 1,290 | 900 | +390 | |
| 16 | Las Vegas | 840 | 1,006 | -166 | |
| 17 | Atlanta | 922 | 915 | +7 | |
| 18 | Inland Empire (Riverside / San Bernardino) | 934 | 896 | +38 | |
| 19 | Salt Lake City | 944 | 701 | +243 | |
| 20 | Miami | 813 | 712 | +101 | |
| 21 | Minneapolis-St. Paul | 786 | 668 | +118 | |
| 22 | Honolulu | 902 | 509 | +393 | |
| 23 | Sacramento | 769 | 591 | +178 | |
| 24 | Boise | 448 | 741 | -293 | |
| 25 | Tampa | 490 | 522 | -32 |
Source: IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, tax filing years 2022 to 2023, King County rows, grouped into metro areas by us. Numbers are people per year. See how we counted.
A few things jump out. The Bay Area as a whole (San Jose, San Francisco and the East Bay together) sends about 5,270 people a year, which would put it first if you counted it as one place. Seattle gains people from the expensive coasts (Los Angeles, the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago) and loses them to cheaper, sunnier places (Phoenix, Austin, Dallas, Boise, Las Vegas). That’s about what you’d guess, and it’s nice when the data agrees with the guess.
Rounding out the top 50 are Raleigh-Durham, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Tucson, Detroit, Orlando, Nashville, Baltimore, St. Louis, Charlotte, Bend, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Anchorage, Eugene, Reno, Madison, Jacksonville, Boulder, Coeur d’Alene, Cincinnati, Ann Arbor, Sarasota and Colorado Springs. Together, the top 50 metros account for about 43,600 of the 54,700 people who moved here from other states.
What’s different about Seattle, wherever you’re coming from
Every move is different, but a handful of Seattle facts apply no matter where you’re coming from.
| Seattle at a glance | |
|---|---|
| Median detached house sale price, Seattle | $992,750 (July to Sept 2026) |
| Median sale price, King County (all homes) | $850,000 (Sept 2026) |
| Average apartment asking rent, Seattle | $2,106 (Oct 2026) |
| Effective property tax rate | About 0.98% (City of Seattle median) |
| Sales tax | 10.55% |
| State income tax on wages | None today (a 9.9% tax on household income over $1M is scheduled for 2028) |
| State capital gains tax | 7% on long-term gains over the annual deduction, 9.9% over $1M. Home sales are exempt |
| State estate tax | 10% to 20% on estates over $3M |
| Rain | About 39 inches a year, on about 156 days |
| Average July high / January low | 77°F / 38°F |
| Daylight on December 21 | About 8 hours 26 minutes |
Sources: Seattle detached median from our own pull of NWMLS data (1,162 sales, July 1 to September 30, 2026). King County median from the NWMLS September 2026 snapshot. Rent from Apartments.com. Property tax from Ownwell. Weather from NOAA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Sea-Tac Airport. Daylight from sunrise-sunset.org.
Five things that catch newcomers off guard
The houses are old. Among the detached houses that sold in Seattle from July through September 2026, the median one was built in 1945, and 72% were built before 1960. That’s a lot of charm and a predictable list of expensive things you can’t see on a tour: old sewer lines, knob-and-tube wiring, buried oil tanks, and crawl spaces that were never bolted down for earthquakes. Our decade-by-decade guide to Seattle homes covers what each era tends to have, and we price the big items on the spot when we tour.
The taxes are different, not lower. Washington has no tax on wages, but it does tax large capital gains and estates, and it has one of the higher sales taxes in the country. If you have RSUs or a big stock sale coming, talk to your CPA about timing before you establish residency.
Air conditioning is not a given. About 53% of Seattle-area homes had it in 2021, per the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey. If you’re coming from somewhere hot, budget for a heat pump.
Transit depends on where you’re coming from. If you’re used to New York, Chicago or Boston, Seattle’s system will feel thin: Link light rail is one main line with a branch across the lake, and most trips still mean a bus or a car. If you’re coming from a city where you drive everywhere, it can be a pleasant surprise. Link runs 63 miles, and since March 2026 it crosses Lake Washington to Bellevue and Redmond. Either way, pick the neighborhood around the commute, not the other way around.
Neighborhoods change block to block. Between the hills, the water and the age of the houses, two homes six blocks apart can be completely different purchases. That’s the main reason we start every out-of-town client with a learning tour. Our neighborhood guides are a good place to start before you visit.
The city guides
Each guide covers one move in detail: what your budget buys here, how your taxes change, which Seattle neighborhood is most like the one you’re leaving, the surprise costs in older houses, weather, getting around, schools, and your first 30 days. Every number has a date and a source.
We’re adding guides for the rest of the top 50 over the coming months, starting with the biggest sources: the Bay Area, New York, Phoenix, Portland and Dallas. If you’re moving from somewhere that isn’t up yet, ask us. We’ll answer the same questions for your city directly.
Leaving Seattle?
About 48,900 people a year move from King County to other states, so if that’s you, you’re in good company too. We can help you sell here, and we’ll walk you through the Washington real estate excise tax and the timing questions that come with a long-distance move. If you’d like a referral to an agent in the city you’re moving to, ask. We’ll be adding guides for the most common destinations as well.
FAQ: moving to Seattle
How many people move to Seattle each year?
In the IRS’s 2022 to 2023 migration data, about 54,700 people moved to King County from other states, about 30,000 moved in from elsewhere in Washington, and about 1,800 moved in from abroad. Those are tax filers and their dependents, so the true numbers are somewhat higher.
Where do most people moving to Seattle come from?
California, by a wide margin: about 14,700 people a year. Los Angeles and Orange County together are the biggest single source, and the Bay Area is bigger still if you count San Francisco, San Jose and the East Bay together. Texas, Oregon, New York and Florida come next.
Is Seattle losing people?
Not to other states. In the IRS’s 2022 to 2023 data, about 54,700 people moved to King County from other states and about 48,900 left for other states, a gain of about 5,800. The county did lose people overall, and most of that loss was moves to the neighbors: about 33,500 people moved from King County to Snohomish and Pierce counties, while about 20,500 moved the other way.
Does Washington have a state income tax?
Not on wages today. Washington passed a 9.9% tax on household income over $1 million starting in 2028, and Initiative 645 on the November 3, 2026 ballot would repeal it. Washington does tax long-term capital gains above an annual deduction, and it has an estate tax.
How much does a house cost in Seattle?
The median detached house that sold in Seattle from July through September 2026 went for $992,750. Across all of King County, including condos, the September 2026 median was $850,000.
How rainy is Seattle?
About 39 inches a year, which is less than a lot of East Coast and Southern cities. It’s spread over about 156 days, mostly as light drizzle from October through May. Summers are dry.
What’s the best way to look at Seattle neighborhoods from out of town?
Plan one long scouting day and see houses in three or four neighborhoods back to back, so you can compare what your budget buys in each. That’s exactly what our learning tours are for.
How we counted
The migration numbers come from the IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration files for tax filing years 2022 to 2023, the newest available. We took every county that sent people to King County or received people from it and grouped those counties into metro areas (Los Angeles includes Orange and Ventura counties, for example, and New York City includes the closest New Jersey counties). The figures count people on tax returns, filers plus dependents, so people who don’t file aren’t included. The IRS also hides county pairs with fewer than 10 returns, which slightly undercounts smaller places. None of that changes the order at the top.
If you’re planning a scouting trip, tell us when you’ll be in town and what you’re curious about. We’ll set up a learning tour across the neighborhoods that fit, with real cost numbers on the houses you see.
Disclaimer: This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Tax rules, ballot measures and market numbers change, and costs vary by house. Talk with your own CPA, attorney, inspector and contractor before making decisions.
