Seattle, famous for its iconic Space Needle, vibrant tech industry, and stunning natural surroundings, stands as a key city in the Pacific Northwest. It is home to leading tech giants like Amazon and Microsoft, fostering a dynamic environment for startups and entrepreneurs. Additionally, the city has a thriving cultural scene, including its renowned music and arts communities, combined with extensive parks and waterfronts.
But how does Seattle perform in terms of economic competitiveness, sustainability, and city brand strength and reputation according to leading rankings and indices?
Let’s explore:
- Seattle’s economic competitiveness and financial performance
- City brand strength and reputation
- Livability: How appealing is it to talent, visitors, and locals?
Economic Competitiveness and Financial Performance
In the Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023, Seattle ranks 21st, reflecting a decrease of seven positions compared to the previous year.
Seattle’s City Brand Strength and Reputation
According to the 2024 World’s Best Cities Report by Resonance, Seattle ranks 34th overall. The city performs moderately in Livability (53rd) and Lovability (53rd), but shows stronger performance in Prosperity (26th).
According to Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Index, the city is ranked 42nd overall, showing an increase of two positions. In the same firm’s Global Cities Outlook ranking, Seattle climbs by eleven positions to now rank 41st.
According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Seattle ranks 32nd, indicating reasonably strong brand recognition and global attractiveness.
Livability: How Attractive to Live, Work, and Study?
The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Seattle 52nd. The city has become more expensive, as shown in the Mercer Cost of Living Ranking, where it ranks 31st, an increase of fourteen positions.
In the IESE Cities in Motion Index 2024, Seattle is ranked 31st overall, performing well in Economy (9th), Human Capital (23rd), Urban Planning (29th), and Technology (30th). The city performs less well in Environment (106th) and Mobility and Transportation (107th).
The Arcadis Sustainability City Index 2022 ranks Seattle 7th overall, with specific rankings of 31st in Planet, 34th in People, and 1st in Profit.
Seattle has one noteworthy university in the top 100 universities in the world. In 2024, the Times Higher Education ranking positioned the University of Washington 25th. Meanwhile, the QS World University ranking ranked the University of Washington 76th.
Last updated in July 2024. Explore more city profiles here.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Seattle’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, we are not responsible for any typographical errors or inaccuracies. The data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Users should verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.
