According to Forbes magazine, for the second year in a row,
Seattle takes the top spot in our study. Why? The city does
poorly on all counts, but was at the bottom when it comes to job
growth, and the cost of living is very high. “It's true
the housing prices here have just gone through the
stratosphere,” says Charles Knutson, spokesman for the
Seattle Chamber of Commerce. The city got hit hard by the tech
bubble, and took a big employment dive. “We're coming
out of that, but if you're looking at a line chart,
there's a huge gap between income and housing costs.”
Still, Seattle may become easier to afford should big local
employers such as Microsoft, Boeing and Starbucks stay healthy.