US flag
Los Angeles

United States

vs
US flag
Seattle

United States

Climate

Los Angeles logs 65 hot days a year to Seattle's 2 — Seattle wins by 63. Los Angeles also leads on frost days by 7.

Los AngelesSeattle
Sunny days
315159
Hot days
652
Frost days
07
Rain days
24171
Snow days
01
Outdoor dinner months
6/124/12
Avg wind
2.1 m/s2.2 m/s
Sunshine hours
3,4122,053
Darkest month sun
182 hrs/mo58 hrs/mo
UV peak month
10.27.2

Los Angeles

Feels-like °C

14
15
16
21
23
27
30
31
28
25
18
14

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Seattle

Feels-like °C

1
1
5
10
15
18
25
24
17
11
3
0

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Seattle is $39/mo cheaper

Los Angeles runs about $4,351/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Seattle's $4,312/mo — Seattle comes in $39 cheaper each month, roughly 1% less.

Los Angeles

$4,351

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,394Comfort $6,993
Top 89%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Seattle

$4,312

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $3,356Comfort $6,448
Top 87%in Among 45 US & Canada cities

Mobility

On mobility, Seattle scores 3.4 vs Los Angeles's 2.0 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on walkability.

2.0/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesSeattle
Flights
WalkabilityTransitCyclingCar EfficiencyFlightsAirport
Seattle leads

Culture

Los Angeles's culture score of 4.2 sits well above Seattle's 3.8, with the biggest gap on arts & culture.

4.2/5
vs
3.8/5
Los AngelesSeattle
ArtsHistoryTheatreVenuesNightlife
ArtsTheatreVenuesNightlife
Los Angeles leads

Nature & Outdoors

Seattle's nature & outdoors score of 4.5 sits well above Los Angeles's 4.0, with the biggest gap on lakes & rivers. Los Angeles still holds an edge on surfing & watersports.

4.0/5
vs
4.5/5
Los AngelesSeattle
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasRunningHikingCampingBeachSurfingDivingSkiingClimbing
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingBeachSkiingClimbing
Seattle leads

Safety

Seattle's safety score is ~1.6× Los Angeles's — in the middle of the scale, while Los Angeles lands below average, with the biggest gap on road safety.

1.8/5
vs
2.8/5
Los AngelesSeattle
Street SafetyProperty CrimeRoadEarthquakeWildfire
Property CrimeEarthquakeWildfire
Seattle leads

Career

Los Angeles's career score of 4.4 sits well above Seattle's 4.2, with the biggest gap on economic scale.

4.4/5
vs
4.2/5
Los AngelesSeattle
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
JobsEconomyStartupsCoworking
Los Angeles leads

Social & Community

Los Angeles and Seattle score neck-and-neck on social & community (3.6 vs 3.4, 0–5 scale).

3.6/5
vs
3.4/5
Los AngelesSeattle
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Everyday EnglishExpat-First CommunityMulticultural MixExpat Integration ExperienceUrban EnergyAdmin English Support
Los Angeles leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Los Angeles scores 4.8 vs Seattle's 4.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on brunch availability. Seattle still holds an edge on vegan & vegetarian options.

4.8/5
vs
4.6/5
Los AngelesSeattle
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
RestaurantsBrunchVeganDelivery
Los Angeles leads

Family

Los Angeles and Seattle score neck-and-neck on family (4.0 vs 4.0, 0–5 scale).

4.0/5
vs
4.0/5
Los AngelesSeattle
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis
Intl SchoolsUniversitiesAmenitiesSportPlaygroundsGroceriesGymYogaSpaTennis

Healthcare

On healthcare, Seattle scores 3.5 vs Los Angeles's 2.8 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

2.8/5
vs
3.5/5
Los AngelesSeattle
Private Healthcare
Private Healthcare
Seattle leads

Air Quality

Los Angeles averages 13.8 µg/m³ (moderate) PM2.5 annually versus Seattle's 6.4 µg/m³ (good) — Seattle breathes ~54% cleaner air (7.4 µg/m³ lower).

Los Angeles

Seattle

13.8µg/m³
6.4µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Moderate
Good

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Los Angeles (13.5M) and Seattle (2.1M) are 6.4x in population — Los Angeles is the larger metro, Seattle the smaller; on land area Los Angeles spans roughly 4.0x more ground.

5.1x

Los Angeles is roughly 5.1x the scale of Seattle

Combined population & area comparison

US flagLos Angeles
5.1x
US flagSeattle
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.US flagLos Angeles13.5M6.4x
2.US flagSeattle2.1M1x
Area
1.US flagLos Angeles4,498 km²4.0x
2.US flagSeattle1,123 km²1x
© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
144 km83 km

US flagLos Angeles

© Stadia Maps, © OpenMapTiles, © OpenStreetMap contributors
28 km77 km

US flagSeattle

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Los Angeles vs Seattle

Which is cheaper, Los Angeles or Seattle?
Los Angeles and Seattle have similar costs of living, both around $4,332 per month for a single person with a balanced lifestyle.
How does the climate compare between Los Angeles and Seattle?
Sunny days: 315 vs 159 d — Los Angeles higher Annual sunshine: 3,412 vs 2,053 hrs — Los Angeles higher Winter sunshine: 182 vs 58 hrs/day — Los Angeles higher Hot days (>30°C): 65 vs 2 d — Seattle lower Frost days: 0 vs 7 d — Los Angeles lower Rainy days: 24 vs 171 d — Los Angeles lower
Is Los Angeles or Seattle safer?
Seattle scores higher on safety. Los Angeles rates 1.8/5 while Seattle rates 2.8/5, based on street safety, property crime rates, and natural hazard exposure.
Should I move to Los Angeles or Seattle?
Los Angeles and Seattle are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Seattle is generally more affordable, while Los Angeles may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Los Angeles and Seattle stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

Take the free diagnostic

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