About 5,511 people moved from the Seattle area to the Phoenix area in 2022–23, per IRS data. The Seattle median home ($887,922) is above Phoenix's ($579,378), and 15 of 15 well-sampled Phoenix neighborhoods sell at or under it. State income tax goes from 0% to 2.5%.
Data verified October 11, 2026. Reviewed by Chris Harris, REALTOR® (Real Broker, LLC). Chris connects movers with licensed agents in their destination market.
Seattle to Phoenix is a logical relocation path for remote workers and retirees seeking sun, lower home prices, and a lower cost of living. Washington has no state income tax on wages; Arizona charges a 2.5% flat rate, fully phased in by 2024 (Tax Foundation). Phoenix home prices are substantially below Seattle's, and the metro has seen significant job market diversification into tech, healthcare, and semiconductor manufacturing.
How many people move from Seattle to Phoenix?
IRS address changes on tax returns show about 5,511 people in 3,226 households moved from the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area to the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ metro area between the 2022 and 2023 filing years. About 3,359 moved in the opposite direction, so the Phoenix side gained roughly 976 households on net. Of the 65,197 households that left the Seattle metro for another U.S. metro, Phoenix ranked number 3.
Source: IRS Statistics of Income, U.S. Population Migration Data, 2022–2023, county-to-county outflows summed to metro areas. The IRS suppresses county pairs with fewer than 20 returns, so these totals are a floor.
What a Seattle budget buys in Phoenix
A typical Seattle home sells for $887,922; the Phoenix median is $579,378. Selling at one median and buying at the other leaves about $308,544 before closing and moving costs. Spend the full $887,922 instead and 15 of the 15 Phoenix neighborhoods we track with at least 5 recent sales have a median at or below it. The closest to that budget: Mesquite ($699,840), Camelback East ($674,765), Willow ($594,793), Cholla ($579,798). At 10% down and 7%, a $579,378 Phoenix home runs about $4,290 a month with taxes and insurance, against about $6,789 for a $887,922 Seattle home.
Neighborhoods closest to the Phoenix median:
| Neighborhood | Median sale price | Homes sold (3 mo.) |
|---|---|---|
| Cholla | $579,798 | 149 |
| Willow | $594,793 | 154 |
| Ahwatukee Foothills | $549,809 | 318 |
For the lowest entry price, the most affordable well-sampled Phoenix neighborhoods are Maryvale ($349,878), North Mountain ($377,869), Alhambra ($379,768).
Prices: Seattle Redfin, Jan–Jun 2026; Phoenix Redfin, Jan–Jun 2026. Neighborhood medians and sale counts: Redfin rolling three-month windows, Jan–Jun 2026; neighborhoods with fewer than 5 sales are left out.
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Destination: Phoenix, AZ · Moving from Seattle
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Income and property taxes: Washington vs Arizona
| Seattle, WA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax | 0% (no state income tax on wages) | 2.5% (flat rate) |
| Effective property tax | 0.77% | 0.48% |
| Property tax on the median home, per year | $6,837 | $2,781 |
On each city’s median home, property tax works out to about $6,837 a year in Seattle and $2,781 in Phoenix. Phoenix’s rate is lower as well as its prices.
Income tax: Tax Foundation 2024 state rates. Property tax: Census American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates, median taxes paid divided by median home value, city level.
Phoenix neighborhoods to start with
Matched to Seattle: the lifestyle tags most common among Seattle neighborhoods in our data are upscale, gated, executive. The Phoenix neighborhoods that share them most are Camelback East ($674,765).
| Neighborhood | Median | Sales (3 mo.) | School rating | Character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryvale | $349,878 | 382 | – | up-and-coming, mixed |
| Alhambra | $379,768 | 277 | – | mixed, trendy |
| Deer Valley | $434,849 | 526 | – | urban, mixed |
| South Phoenix | $453,342 | 827 | – | urban, walkable |
| Monterey Arcadia | $494,828 | 187 | – | urban, mixed |
| Ahwatukee Foothills | $549,809 | 318 | – | trendy, walkable |
| Willow | $594,793 | 154 | – | urban, walkable |
| Mesquite | $699,840 | 153 | – | mixed, trendy |
Phoenix’s citywide crime grade is F (FBI UCR 2025); the FBI does not publish it by neighborhood. School ratings appear only where one is on file. See every Phoenix neighborhood on the Phoenix neighborhoods page.
Frequently asked questions
Get matched with an agent in Phoenix
Tell us who you are and Chris Harris will connect you with a licensed local agent who knows the neighborhoods above. Free, no obligation.
Destination: Phoenix, AZ · Moving from Seattle
Want ranked neighborhoods first? Take the 2-minute neighborhood quiz.
Sources. Migration: IRS SOI U.S. Population Migration Data 2022–2023. Home prices: Redfin, Jan–Jun 2026 (Seattle), Redfin, Jan–Jun 2026 (Phoenix). Neighborhoods: Redfin Jan–Jun 2026. Property tax: Census ACS 2023. Income tax: Tax Foundation 2024. Crime: FBI UCR 2025. Verified October 11, 2026. More corridors in the relocation guides.