Which city – Bellevue or Seattle – is best for you? This relies on a variety of things, such as if you have children, where you work, the kind of lifestyle you’d like, your budget, and more. In terms of population, Bellevue had 146,145 residents as of 2020, compared to Seattle’s 741,251 citizens. Seattle and Bellevue are close neighbors that are just a few miles away, with a lake and a few floating bridges standing between them. Despite being close by, the two cities are quite different from one another. Overall, Seattle is the place to go if you want to experience a big city, from shows and concerts to upscale dining; Bellevue is close to the excitement without being in the middle of it. Additionally, there is free parking, which is difficult to come by in most of Seattle’s downtown. But ultimately, it depends on what you’re searching for as Bellevue and Seattle are both fantastic cities in general.

Cost of Living

In general, Seattle’s consumer prices are 2.5% lower than Bellevue’s. However, Seattle rental costs are more than 6.5% more expensive than those in Bellevue. While eating out is fairly comparable in both cities, groceries cost 6% less in Seattle than in Bellevue. At this point, it seems impossible to stop the Eastside’s demand for Bellevue houses for sale. If you own a single-family house and are wanting to sell, you are in a wonderful position to do so because there are far too many individuals who want to buy one here (and of course, you want to make sure you work with an experienced real estate professional to make sure to make the most of your investment).

Things to Do

Compared to Bellevue, Seattle has a lot more museums, art galleries, and popular tourist destinations. Contrarily, Bellevue is home to the beautiful Bellevue Square, the Bellevue Arts Museum, and the Bellevue Botanical Gardens. Both Bellevue and Seattle have a respectable number of parks and other outdoor areas to offer. Visit Wilburton Hill Park, Clyde Beach Park, or Bellevue Downtown Park while you are in the city to enjoy the outdoors. No matter which city you decide to make your new home in, there are enough restaurants, pubs, coffee shops, and shops for you to find things to do and people to do them with. 

City Life

Seattle is well renowned for its hipster vibes and gritty ambiance. The Emerald City is vibrant, vintage, and grungy all at once because it is teeming with art and artists. Singles, young professionals, and extremely energetic people who prefer social situations and continual activity across several downtown districts make ideal homes in Seattle. While having just one downtown, Bellevue is a significantly more family-oriented city. There are several corporate offices located there, and overall Bellevue is far more calm, professional, clean, and family-friendly than Seattle.

Traffic

Seattle and Bellevue are both notorious for having terrible traffic. If you need to get anywhere between 7 and 10 am or 3 and 7 pm, or any other time during rush hour, you should plan for a trip that will take twice as long as usual.

Economy

Both Seattle and Bellevue have booming job markets, so it’s difficult to say which city has a stronger local economy. Many of the largest tech firms of today have offices in Seattle, including Amazon and Google, while Bellevue is home to Paccar International Inc., T-Mobile, and Expedia Group. You will encounter a highly robust, bustling job market regardless of the city you select.