Median rent is 10% lower in Aurora ($1,835/mo vs $2,030/mo). Buying is cheaper in Aurora, where the median home runs $469,100 versus $938,600. Households earn more in Seattle ($123,860 vs $88,368 a year).
City A
Aurora, CO
City B
Seattle, WA
How much would you need to earn in Seattle, WA to maintain your standard of living from Aurora, CO?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Aurora
Colorado
Seattle
Washington
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Median rent is modestly lower in Aurora at $1,835/mo compared to $2,030/mo in Seattle (10% gap). Home buyers face a steeper market in Seattle: the median home is $938,600 versus $469,100 in Aurora — 50% more expensive.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Aurora
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Seattle
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Aurora has cleaner air on average: 27.0 AQI (Good) compared to 52.0 AQI (Moderate) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Seattle if you prioritize higher median household income ($123,860/yr).
Pick Aurora if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 27.0).
Is Aurora cheaper than Seattle?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Aurora vs Seattle?
Median rent is $1,835/mo in Aurora, CO and $2,030/mo in Seattle, WA. Aurora, CO has the lower rent by about 10%.
Which has higher salaries — Aurora or Seattle?
Median household income is $88,368 in Aurora, CO and $123,860 in Seattle, WA. Seattle, WA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Aurora, CO has better air quality on average: 27.0 AQI versus 52.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Aurora or Seattle?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Seattle to match my Aurora income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
