Los Angeles - CA vs Seattle - WA: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Los Angeles - CA is roughly 32% more expensive than Seattle - WA in typical home value. Seattle - WA sees more listings with price cuts (34.2% vs 24.4%), a sign of softening seller expectations.

Los Angeles vs Seattle: what the numbers say

At today's 7.40% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $5,262 a month in principal and interest in Los Angeles and $3,989 in Seattle, a gap of $1,273 a month.

Typical rent runs $2,929 in Los Angeles and $2,250 in Seattle, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.8 times rent in Los Angeles and 1.8 times rent in Seattle, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 27.0 years of rent in Los Angeles and 26.7 in Seattle; the lower ratio in Seattle means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved -0.2% in Los Angeles and -2.9% in Seattle; over just the last three months the change was +0.3% in Los Angeles and -0.3% in Seattle.

Homes sell for 99.9% of list price in Los Angeles and 99.3% in Seattle, after 26 and 27 days on the market, with price cuts on 24% and 34% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in Seattle.

The number of homes for sale is down 0% on a year ago in Los Angeles and up 20% on a year ago in Seattle.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-15), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.