Seattle ranked No. 13 in the nation in RentCafe’s 2026 Most Livable U.S. Metro Areas report. That ranking would have been higher — if not for the city’s high cost of living.
When looking just at quality of life, Emerald City ranked No. 2 in the country, behind only Washington, D.C. That was due to the overall mental and physical health of residents, quality of food options, access to exercise opportunities and high rates of healthcare providers relative to the population, plus a high share of college-educated residents and ample entertainment and recreation venues.
However, when accounting for socioeconomic factors, like a cost of living 32.2% higher than the national average and an income growth rate of just 3% over five years, Seattle ranked No. 123 out of 149 metros — tanking its overall rating…