Moving from Dallas to Seattle is appealing if you like cities with countless opportunities for adventures surrounded by evergreen forests.

Some of the biggest changes between living in Dallas and living in Seattle are weather-related. The cities may have their differences, but let’s not forget that they have similarities too. Both Dallas and Seattle are major hubs for several Fortune 500 companies and have an ever-growing job market.

While these similarities may not help you adapt to life in Seattle instantaneously, this guide will certainly help you with your relocation from Dallas to The Emerald City.

The Moving Process From Dallas to Seattle

How Far is Seattle from Dallas?

The distance between Dallas and Seattle is 2,096 miles. The driving time of this journey is approximately 31 hours by car depending on traffic.

This drive is no easy feat, so it’s probably best to hire a professional moving company to move your belongings cross-country. If you do decide to drive your car there yourself and let the moving company take care of the rest, the drive itself could be made into an epic road trip! The drive would allow you to pass through 6 different states and you can hit up Colorado Springs, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Boise on the way.

The flight time is roughly 4 hours and 15 minutes long, so if 31+ hours of driving cross-country on an epic road trip doesn’t excite you, flying would be your best option.

What is the Average Cost to Move From Dallas to Seattle?

The average cost to move from Dallas to Seattle is between $3700-$6000. That means on average it costs roughly $4850.

If you are trying to determine the exact cost of a move from Dallas to Seattle, a few factors must be taken into account.

These include the number of items planning to be moved, whether you will need to ship your car cross-country rather than driving it yourself, whether you plan to add additional services like packing and unpacking to your professional move or whether you plan to try and ship most of your items and fly there instead.

Should I Move From Dallas to Seattle?

While this move won’t require much of a change with regards to the quality of life, there are other benefits.

Ample choice for outdoor excursions and an environmentally friendly city are two of the biggest benefits. If this sounds good to you, then you should move from Dallas to Seattle.

How Dallas Compares to Seattle

Living Costs Compared

When moving from Dallas to Seattle, one of the first things you may notice is that the cost of living in Seattle is slightly higher than in Dallas. Folks in Seattle make roughly 12% more than a typical American, so this helps to counterbalance the pricey housing market.

In Dallas, the median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment is around $1,607. You can expect the median rent for a 2 bedroom apartment in Seattle to be around $2,724.

Buying a home in Seattle can be up to 2 times more expensive than it is in Dallas. The median sale price of a 3 bedroom home in Dallas is roughly $408,230. Whereas in Seattle, you can expect to pay $826,200 for a 3 bedroom home.

In addition to rental and real estate costs, you can expect to pay more for food, transportation, and healthcare in Seattle.

Public Transportation

King County Metro is Seattle’s main method of public transportation which is comprised of an extensive network of buses. Sound Transit then links to King Couty Metro which offers light rail and commuter trains.

Due to Seattle’s location on the Puget Sound, ferries and water taxis are widely used as public transport when one needs to get across the water. Seattle’s ferry system is extremely efficient and you can walk or drive onto most ferries operating in the area.

In Dallas, a 31-Day Pass costs $96 and a one-way ticket costs $2.50. In Seattle, a monthly pass for the King County Metro is $99, and a one-way ticket is $2.75

Weather

As you are probably aware, the weather in Seattle differs significantly from the weather in Dallas. Both cities enjoy hot summers, but Seattle has fewer sunny days year-round.

Seattle has a reputation for being a rainy place but you’ll be surprised to hear that Seattle averages only 38 inches of rain per year while Dallas averages 39 inches per year. Seattle may accumulate less rain over the year but there are definitely more days where it’s grey and rainy.

The summers in Seattle are milder, which is great if you want to hike or spend the day at the lake. So if you are not a fan of the baking heat in Dallas, Seattle might suit your needs.

Moving From Dallas to Seattle DMV

If you move from Dallas to Seattle, you’ll need to plan on getting a new driver’s license.

Once you become a resident in Washington State, you’ll have 30 days to get a WA driver’s license. After you get your new license, only then can you register your vehicle. There are separate locations for driver and vehicle licensing so you must make two different trips.

If you need more information about the process or what you will need to bring with you, you can find it here.

Buying a Home in Seattle

As mentioned earlier, buying a home in Seattle is notably more expensive than buying a home in Dallas. Don’t let this fact scare you from buying a home though, Seattle has 100 distinct neighborhoods so you’ll have ample places to find the perfect neighborhood to call home.

So if you’re wondering where to start your search, the following neighborhoods are a great place to begin house hunting

West Seattle

Are you hoping to buy a home in a neighborhood that’s family-friendly, safe while also being affordable? Then West Seattle is the perfect place for you. The area is located on its own peninsula so expect lots of outdoor activities for the kids and the area also hosts an abundance of community events.

West Seattle is also great if you have school-going children, the public schools in the area are top-notch. The area’s crime rates are low and it’s 59% safer than other Seattle neighborhoods.

Capitol Hill

If you’re looking for a vibrant, densely packed neighborhood to call home, Capitol Hill is for you! This historic neighborhood was home to a huge counterculture community during the mid 20th century which led to the area becoming a magnet for LGBTQ people seeking community acceptance.

It is now a bustling district packed with trendy coffee shops, indie stores, entertainment clubs, and hip bars. So if this sounds like your scene, make sure to check out Capitol Hill.

Fremont

If you’re looking for a neighborhood that’s situated close enough to Downtown Seattle but still has a suburban feel to it, you should consider Fremont. The neighborhood is popular with young professionals who work nearby, as Adobe and Google both have offices in the area.

The housing stock in the area consists of spacious condos, bungalows, and Craftsman-style homes. If you love to get out and about to meet your neighbors while supporting the local community, you’ll be delighted to hear that Fremont has a Farmers Market every Sunday.

Selling Your Property in Dallas

The first step when planning to sell your home in Dallas is finding the right realtor. Together with planning the right time to sell your home, you should be able to make a quick and profitable sale.

Housing prices can fluctuate depending on the time of year that you list and sell your home. June is the best month to sell your home in Dallas. Generally, it takes 3 months to close on a sale, so if you list your home in March, you can expect to make nearly 5.2% more than you would make at any other time.

Before you list your home you must figure out how much your house is worth. If you’ve hired an experienced realtor they’ll be able to gauge your home’s value by comparing it to your area’s market value.

Then from there, they should be able to instruct you on the necessary steps needed to complete the sale, allowing you to focus on the relocation and alleviating some of the stresses that come with selling a home.

Finding a Job in Seattle Before You Move There

Before planning a move to Seattle, it’s worth noting that Seattle is home to 5 Fortune 500 companies, such as Amazon.com, Starbucks, and Nordstrom.

Seattle’s economy is driven by a mix of older industrial companies and new technology companies, this diverse range has created a stable job market that suits a wide variety of people. The best places to start the job search in Seattle would be;

City of Seattle Employment: Career Center

If you’re interested in a City of Seattle job, their career center lists plenty of information on where residents can find job opportunities in the public sector.

So if you’d like to join the 10,000 employees that work to make the city of Seattle a better place, you can click here to find out more.

Indeed

Indeed is an excellent place to begin a job search, no matter where you are based. Try using the tools to filter your search to certain areas in Seattle or you can try searching in nearby Puget Sound cities like Redmond, Issaquah, and Bellevue for even more opportunities.

There are job listings posted daily so you can check out the current job listings in Seattle here.

Word of Mouth

Do you know anyone living in Seattle? Try asking them if they are aware of any job openings or of anyone that’s looking to hire.

Moving From Dallas to Seattle Checklist

The following checklist will give you an idea of what needs to be accomplished before trading the Big D for The Emerald City

At Least 4 to 6 Weeks Before the Move

– Get in touch with reliable movers that will assist you in transporting your things from Chicago to Dallas.

– Get in touch with your family’s health care physician, dentist, and any other service providers that you are in contact with and let them know that you are moving.

– Order moving supplies or ask your moving company to provide them as an additional service

– It is a great idea to sell or donate your unwanted items. You can sell on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist. Or you can donate them to the Salvation Army and they will pick items up at no charge.

– Begin packing; clearly mark boxes with a marker indicating which room they will be going into at delivery.

– You will need to make your change of address known to several different places, such as wherever you do your banking, the DMV, your workplace, any other financial institutions (such as credit card providers), the post office, your utility provider, and, saving the most important for last, your friends and family.

– Sort plane tickets if you’re planning to fly.

2 Weeks Prior to the Move

– It is imperative to clean and/or make needed repairs on your old home before moving out, since leaving your place an absolute mess may leave your security deposit in jeopardy.

– Because of the abundance of fragile items in your kitchen, you’ll want to pack these items away long in advance, with protective bubble wrap to ensure nothing gets broken in transit.

– You will also want to begin packing your things from bedrooms and bathrooms, except for your essential items that you will be using until you move.

– If necessary, you will want to arrange a babysitter for your kids and/or pets for parts of the move that you need to be able to focus and get things done.

A Couple of Days Before Your Move

– Clean up your home completely, double checking any cracks and crevices that may have your stuff hidden away.

– Unless your movers will do it for you, dissassemble your furniture to make your move a smoother process, and ensure to keep any screws, brackets, or other small items that are needed for reassembly. Pro tip: tape these smaller items in a bag to the bottom of the furniture.

– Print out the floor plan of your new home and have enough for the movers as well.

– You may want to hit the ATM before moving day, as you’ll need to have enough cash to tip your movers. Generally speaking, you’ll want to tip $20-$30 per mover.

– Make sure that you confirm with your movers the details of your move. The last thing that you want is to have moving day come around, and you and your movers aren’t on the same page.

– Get in touch with the landlord or current homeowner of your new place, and ensure that you’ll be able to get the keys to your new place when you arrive.

– Document the condition of your old place through pictures and videos, to ensure that you have proof of its state. This will come in handy if your landlord tries to keep your deposit, based on incorrect facts.

Moving Day

– Hand over your old home’s keys to the necessary people, such as landlord or building management.

– Do a quick run-through of your home to ensure that nothing gets left behind, whether it’s just a smaller item, or an entire box of stuff.

– Ensure that everything you packed up is in your new home before unpacking everything.

– If the moving company you are working with is going to assemble your furniture, make sure that they reassemble it in the correct room to avoid unnecessary work.

– Be sure to thank everyone helping you move, and leave them a tip!

You did it! Congrats and enjoy your new home!

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