As I understand, Seattle has following pros 1) TC almost on par with Bay area 2) No state tax 3) low housing prices compared to FAANG TC 4) Lots of places to hike or bike But many people mention weather as a pro. Does majority feel the same way or does people convince themselves that they live in a better place
If you enjoy 6-8 months of overcast, blanket darkness, and/or spitting rain then you'll be fine. The lack of sun exposure did me in. I'd go weeks without seeing any sunlight. For some folks it will severely impact them.
Weather is nice. It gets some rain but its a sprinkle most of the time and doesn't really get hot which is much more irritating for me. All the other points you mentioned, also true.
Some people like seasons. Also having rainfall and snow means: - good coffee shops and beer breweries - lush vegetation and forests - less Asians (whether itās a good or bad thing - depends on perspective)
Weather is a pro for those who don't like it super hot or super cold. Yes, it's cloudy and drizzly quite a bit, but the greenery keeps me happy. Although now I'm hearing about a lot of Seattleites moving to Boise, ID. More sun, cheaper housing, and can telecommute to whatever Seattle job they have.
Summers in Seattle are the best on the planet.
The rain here is mostly like a mist, not an east coast style downpour, so it's not like you get drenched everytime you go outside. Most people get by with a hooded rain jacket. Temperatures generally don't get extremely hot or cold, unless you live further east of the city like in Snoqualmie. We rarely see snow in the city but when we do everything fucking shuts down. It's amusing and annoying, especially if you work with people newly moved from the Midwest who can't shut up about how seattlites are babies about snow. Eventually they realize that unlike the Midwest we have HILLS and that's why snow and ice are so disruptive here. The main thing that really gets me down is the months of grey skies from November until April. It's just drab. Going to Mexico or Hawaii for a week in between those months helps a lot.
Weather is a downer. If you suffer from SAD, I donāt recommend. I recommend scheduling some remote and vacation weeks from sunnier climates.
Housing prices aren't that cheap in Seattle area if you consider the TC drop, lesser tech roles w.r.t Bay area.
2x the COL in SF as Seattle. With income tax benefit, pay difference is only 20% lower.
I woke up couple hours ago and itās almost dark already. Now is the worst time of the year though.
Weather is terrible