Denver vs Seattle

A side-by-side comparison of Denver, Colorado and Seattle, Washington — population, climate, cost of living, demographics, and more.

PlaceDenverDenver

Colorado, United States

SeattleSeattle

Washington, United States

Location
State / regionColoradoWashington
Country🇺🇸 United States🇺🇸 United States
Coordinates39.762, -104.88147.619, -122.352
Elevation1,613 m46 m
Size
Population729,019780,992
Land area153.1 mi²84.0 mi²
Water area1.7 mi²58.1 mi²
Density (per mi²)4,7639,297
Housing units372,123411,671
Demographics
Median age35.635.4
White (non-Hispanic)57.3%58.6%
Black or African American9.6%6.9%
Asian3.8%17.9%
Hispanic or Latino28.3%9.1%
Economy & education
Median household income$92,504$118,745
Median home value$636,400$950,800
Bachelor's or higher58.6%70.1%
Poverty rate12.1%9.4%
Unemployment4.3%5.2%
Climate
Avg high temp66°F60°F
Avg low temp39°F47°F
Annual precipitation17.2 in46.0 in
Sunshine % of year69.0%49.0%
Annual solar (kWh/m²)1,7701,247
Air & environment
US AQI4269
Air quality categoryGoodModerate
PM2.5 (µg/m³)10.921.8
PM10 (µg/m³)11.422.1
Ozone (µg/m³)37.064.0
NO₂ (µg/m³)27.335.3
Wildlife species observed1010
Wildlife observations1,804,9783,371,109
Risk & hazards
Earthquakes (last 10y)10394
Largest earthquake (mag)3.24.8
Active weather alerts11
Health
Obesity21.8%22.5%
Diabetes8.0%6.8%
Smoking10.3%6.6%
Schools
Schools total190200
Elementary schools106120
Middle schools3127
High schools4845
Civic & interest
Notable people (Wikidata)1616
Books about this place88
Wikipedia views (last 30d)4,2215,053
Overview
Summary

Denver is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Officially a consolidated city and county, it is located in the South Platte River valley on the western edge of the High Plains, and is just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains (Rockies). Denver is the 19th-most populous city in the United States and the fifth-most populous state capital, with a population of 715,522 at the 2020 census. The ten-county Denver metropolitan area, with 3.1 million residents, is the 19th-largest metropolitan area in the country and functions as the economic and cultural center of the broader Front Range Urban Corridor.

Wikipedia

Seattle is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region of North America. It is the 18th-most populous city in the United States with a population of 784,777 in 2025, while the Seattle metropolitan area at over 4.15 million residents is the 15th-most populous metropolitan area in the nation. The city is the county seat of King County, the most populous county in Washington. Seattle's growth rate of 21.1% between 2010 and 2020 made it one of the country's fastest-growing large cities.

Wikipedia

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