--- title: "New York vs Seattle: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for New York and Seattle — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/new-york-vs-seattle pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > New York ($102/sqft, 17.4% vacancy) and Seattle ($52/sqft, 26.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: New York on talent depth and Seattle on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: New York $102/sqft vs Seattle $52/sqft. - Vacancy: New York 17.4% vs Seattle 26.4%. - Talent index: New York 100 vs Seattle 92. - Corporate tax: New York 27.5% vs Seattle 21%. - Premium flex/seat/month: New York $1,450 vs Seattle $940. # New York vs Seattle: Class A office comparison **New York ($102/sqft, 17.4% vacancy) and Seattle ($52/sqft, 26.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: New York on talent depth and Seattle on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: New York $102/sqft vs Seattle $52/sqft. - Vacancy: New York 17.4% vs Seattle 26.4%. - Talent index: New York 100 vs Seattle 92. - Corporate tax: New York 27.5% vs Seattle 21%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: New York $1,450 vs Seattle $940. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | New York | Seattle| | Region | Americas | Americas| | Country | United States | United States| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $102 | $52| | Class A rent (local) | 102 USD | 52 USD| | Vacancy | 17.4% | 26.4%| | Trend | rising | softening| | Prime yield | 5.6% | 6.7%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $1,450 | $940| | Submarkets covered | 7 | 5| | Corporate tax | 27.5% | 21%| ## Lease norms | Metric | New York | Seattle| | Typical term | 10 yrs | 10 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 14 mos | 16 mos| | Lease norms | Manhattan leases are predominantly modified-gross structures with operating-expense and real-estate-tax escalations over a base year. Free rent (12-18 months on a 10-year term) and fit-out-capex">tenant improvement allowances ($130-$180/sqft for high-spec build-outs) are core economic levers. Personal guarantees are uncommon at institutional tenant scale; Good Guy Guarantees remain standard for smaller suites. | Modified-gross structures with operating-expense pass-throughs. 10-12 year terms standard for trophy. Free rent of 12-18 months and TI of $100-$150/sqft typical on a 10-year deal.| | Tax note | Combined federal + New York State + NYC corporate income tax effectively reaches 27.5% for most C-corps. New York City Commercial Rent Tax (CRT) applies to Manhattan tenants south of 96th Street paying base rents above $250,000. | 21% federal corporate income tax. No Washington State corporate income tax. Washington B&O tax applies to gross receipts (rates vary by activity). Seattle JumpStart payroll expense tax applies to tenants with $7M+ payroll.| ## Talent | Metric | New York | Seattle| | Talent index (0–100) | 100 | 92| | Talent note | Deepest white-collar talent pool in the Americas. Average all-in compensation for senior knowledge workers indexes 100 (the global baseline used elsewhere in this Atlas). | Deepest cloud, AI, and SaaS engineering talent pool in North America. UW and a deep network of T-1 engineering programs feed. Cost-of-living advantage versus Bay Area is structural.| ## Transit & commute **New York:** MTA subway lines, Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH converge on Midtown and the Financial District, anchored by Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Oculus. Class A landlords now factor [commute time](/topics/workplace-talent-strategy) as part of their leasing pitch. **Seattle:** Sound Transit Link light rail (1 Line) extended in 2024 to Lynnwood; East Link to Bellevue / Redmond opening 2025-26. Streetcar serves South Lake Union. King County Metro bus network anchors local commute. ## Top submarkets — New York - [**Plaza District**](/cities/new-york/plaza-district) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · $145/sqft/yr - [**Hudson Yards**](/cities/new-york/hudson-yards) — trophy tier · $130/sqft/yr - [**Midtown**](/cities/new-york/midtown) — trophy tier · $128/sqft/yr ## Top submarkets — Seattle - [**Downtown CBD**](/cities/seattle/downtown-cbd) — trophy tier · $65/sqft/yr - [**South Lake Union**](/cities/seattle/south-lake-union) — trophy tier · $60/sqft/yr - [**Bellevue**](/cities/seattle/bellevue) — trophy tier · $58/sqft/yr ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Seattle is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth New York has the deeper talent index (100/100 vs 92/100). ### Pick by tax Seattle has the lower headline corporate tax (21% vs 27.5%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality New York typical term is 10 years with 14 months free; Seattle runs 10 years with 16 months free. ### Pick by transit New York: MTA subway lines, Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH converge on Midtown and the Financial District, anchored by Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Oculus. Class A landlords now factor commute time as part of their leasing pitch. Seattle: Sound Transit Link light rail (1 Line) extended in 2024 to Lynnwood; East Link to Bellevue / Redmond opening 2025-26. Streetcar serves South Lake Union. King County Metro bus network anchors local commute. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score New York, Seattle and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in New York or Seattle?**** : Seattle is cheaper on a USD basis: $52/sqft vs $102/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, New York or Seattle?**** : New York indexes higher on talent depth (100 vs 92). ****Which has more sublease availability, New York or Seattle?**** : Seattle carries higher vacancy (26.4% vs 17.4%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in New York vs Seattle?**** : New York typical term is 10 years with 14 months rent-free; Seattle typical term is 10 years with 16 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : New York: MTA subway lines, Metro-North, LIRR, and PATH converge on Midtown and the Financial District, anchored by Grand Central, Penn Station, and the Oculus. Class A landlords now factor commute time as part of their leasing pitch. Seattle: Sound Transit Link light rail (1 Line) extended in 2024 to Lynnwood; East Link to Bellevue / Redmond opening 2025-26. Streetcar serves South Lake Union. King County Metro bus network anchors local commute. ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Miriam Hollander**](/about/authors/miriam-hollander) — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/new-york-vs-seattle), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.