City comparison
Burien, WA is about 10 miles (20 km) from Seattle, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 10 miles, or about 12 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Burien, WA to Seattle, WA takes about 1 min, covering roughly 10 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Seattle has a population of 734,603, vs 51,505 in Burien — about 14.3× larger by population. By land area, Seattle covers about 84 sq mi vs 10 sq mi for Burien.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Burien | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,649/mo | $1,945/mo | 18.0% higher in Seattle |
| Median home value | $566,500 | $879,900 | 55.3% higher in Seattle |
| Median household income | $84,583 | $116,068 | 37.2% higher in Seattle |
| Groceries index | 104.0 | 103.0 | 0.9% higher in Burien |
| Utilities index | 95.7 | 92.5 | 3.5% higher in Burien |
| Transportation index | 106.6 | 108.1 | 1.3% higher in Seattle |
| Healthcare index | 106.6 | 108.8 | 2.0% higher in Seattle |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Burien, you'd need $100,795 in Seattle to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Burien, WA is about 0.8% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 1% higher in Seattle than in Burien. If you earn $80,000 in Burien, you'd need about $80,636 in Seattle to keep the same standard of living.