WA → LA · Emerald City to Crescent City

Moving from Seattle to New Orleans?

Seattle to NOLA — WA 0% to LA 4.25% costs $4,250/yr more, housing 71% cheaper — Amazon/Microsoft → Ochsner + Tulane + LSU Health + Shell + port logistics.

2,700 mi Distance
40 hr Drive time
71% lower Home prices
$-4,250/yr Tax savings on $100K

The Story

Seattle-to-NOLA is Amazon/Microsoft → Ochsner + Tulane + Shell move. WA 0% → LA 4.25% costs $4,250/yr more. Housing 71% cheaper, COL 42% lower. Pull: Ochsner Health (largest in LA, Cerner bridge), Tulane Medical, LSU Health, Shell/Chevron oil-gas, Port of New Orleans, Mardi Gras.

Why This Move

Why people move from Seattle to New Orleans.

Ochsner Health — largest LA system (Cerner data bridge)
Tulane University + Tulane Medical Center
LSU Health Sciences Center
Shell + Chevron + Entergy — oil/gas + utilities
Port of New Orleans — logistics
Drastically cheaper housing (71% less than Seattle)
Lower COL (42% less than Seattle)
Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, Creole/Cajun food

Cost Comparison

The money side of WA → LA.

Seattle

Median home$730,000
Income taxNone (WA)
Cost index165

New Orleans

Median home$210,000
Income tax4.25% (LA)
Cost index95

What to Do in New Orleans

Things you'll want to know about your new city.

Bookmark this page — these are the icons of New Orleans, organized by what kind of day you're planning.

Outdoors & Recreation

Garden District — Antebellum mansions, Magazine Street shopping, streetcar access
City Park — 1,300 acres (larger than Central Park); NOMA museum, oak grove, sculpture garden

Culture & Arts

French Quarter — 78 blocks of 18th-century Spanish/French architecture; Bourbon Street, Royal Street antiques
Jackson Square / St. Louis Cathedral — Iconic French Quarter heart; oldest cathedral in continuous use in US
National WWII Museum — Top-rated US museum; immersive WWII experience
Frenchmen Street — Live music nightly — locals' alternative to Bourbon Street
Preservation Hall — Traditional jazz nightly since 1961
St. Charles Streetcar — Oldest continuously operating streetcar line in world (1835)
Mardi Gras (February) — Two weeks of parades culminating Fat Tuesday; defining annual experience

Family-Friendly

Audubon Zoo / Aquarium — World-class zoo in Audubon Park; aquarium downtown

Where to Eat

New Orleans's essential restaurants.

The dining list every New Orleans resident knows by heart. Save the spots, work through them.

Commander's Palace Haute Creole Garden District

Brennan family icon since 1893; Emeril and Paul Prudhomme alumni
Café du Monde Beignets/coffee French Quarter

Open 24/7 since 1862; chicory coffee and powdered-sugar beignets
Cochon Cajun/Southern Warehouse District

Donald Link; James Beard winner; whole-hog cooking
Galatoire's Creole French Quarter (Bourbon St)

Friday lunch is a New Orleans institution since 1905
Compère Lapin Caribbean-Creole Warehouse District

Nina Compton (Top Chef); James Beard winner
Domilise's Po-Boys Po'boys Uptown

Dive po'boy shop since 1918; locals' choice
Willa Jean Southern brunch/bakery Warehouse District

Kelly Fields biscuits and brunch
Saba Israeli-Mediterranean Uptown

Alon Shaya; James Beard winner — pita made tableside

Where to Live

Best New Orleans neighborhoods for Seattle transplants.

Mapped to the Seattle neighborhoods that probably feel like home to you.

French Quarter / Marigny

If Capitol Hill was your scene — walkable, music, food
Bywater

If Ballard was your vibe — gentrified, eclectic
Garden District

If Queen Anne was your historic vibe — Victorian mansions, walkable
Metairie (suburb)

If Bellevue was your model — top schools, family-friendly
Uptown

If you wanted historic — Tulane/Loyola-adjacent
Mid-City

If you wanted central — walkable, neighborhood feel

Climate & Walkability

What daily life feels like in New Orleans.

Climate

Humid subtropical. Hot humid summers (75-91°F) with near-daily afternoon thunderstorms. Mild winters (45-65°F). Hurricane risk June-November (always carry insurance). 64 inches rainfall, 216 sun days/year.

Summer75-91°F
Winter45-65°F
Sun days/yr216
Rainfall64 inches

Walkability

Walk Score58/100
Transit Score47/100
Bike Score56/100

New Orleans is somewhat walkable in central neighborhoods, car-dependent in suburbs.

Outdoors & Recreation

City Park — 1,300 acres, oak grove, NOMA, sculpture garden, lagoons
Audubon Park — Uptown park along the river with golf and zoo
Bayou St. John — kayaking through Mid-City
Crescent Park — riverfront promenade with Mississippi views
Jean Lafitte National Park (30 min south) — bayou/swamp tours
Lake Pontchartrain — fishing, sailing, 24-mile causeway

Reality Check

What changes about your daily life.

WA 0% becomes LA 4.25% — costs $4,250/year more on $100K
Housing 71% cheaper — $730K Seattle becomes $210K NOLA
COL 42% lower
Climate flips oceanic to humid subtropical (NOLA hot, hurricanes)
Property tax LA 0.55% lower than WA 0.85%
Walkability stays decent — Seattle walkable, NOLA French Quarter walkable
Amazon/Microsoft → Ochsner/Tulane health analytics bridge
Sports — gain Saints/Pelicans, lose Mariners/Seahawks/Kraken

Driving Routes

How to drive there.

I-90 E to I-55 S to I-10 W

2,700 miles via Spokane, Billings, KC, Memphis. 40 hours / 5 days.

Move Logistics

What it takes to move 2,700 miles.

Full-service (3BR)$10,500-$19,000
Container/PODS$7,500-$12,500
DIY (26-ft truck)$5,200-$9,000
Best monthsOct-May (avoid hurricane season)
Lead time10-12 weeks ahead

USDOT-registered.

Common Questions