Is Class A office cheaper in Boston or Seattle?

Seattle is cheaper on a USD basis: $52/sqft vs $78/sqft.

Which has better talent depth, Boston or Seattle?

Boston indexes higher on talent depth (95 vs 92).

Which has more sublease availability, Boston or Seattle?

Seattle carries higher vacancy (26.4% vs 19.5%) and therefore typically more sublease overhang.

What lease term should I expect in Boston vs Seattle?

Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months rent-free; Seattle typical term is 10 years with 16 months rent-free.

Boston ($78/sqft, 19.5% vacancy) and Seattle ($52/sqft, 26.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Boston on talent depth and Seattle on rent and tax.

Class A rent: Boston $78/sqft vs Seattle $52/sqft.
Vacancy: Boston 19.5% vs Seattle 26.4%.
Talent index: Boston 95 vs Seattle 92.
Corporate tax: Boston 28% vs Seattle 21%.
Premium flex/seat/month: Boston $1,140 vs Seattle $940.

Boston vs Seattle: Class A office comparison

Boston ($78/sqft, 19.5% vacancy) and Seattle ($52/sqft, 26.4% vacancy) compete on different axes: Boston on talent depth and Seattle on rent and tax.

TL;DR

Class A rent: Boston $78/sqft vs Seattle $52/sqft.
Vacancy: Boston 19.5% vs Seattle 26.4%.
Talent index: Boston 95 vs Seattle 92.
Corporate tax: Boston 28% vs Seattle 21%.
Premium flex/seat/month: Boston $1,140 vs Seattle $940.

Market data side-by-side

Metric	Boston	Seattle
Region	Americas	Americas
Country	United States	United States
Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr)	$78	$52
Class A rent (local)	78 USD	52 USD
Vacancy	19.5%	26.4%
Trend	flat	softening
Prime yield	6.2%	6.7%
Premium flex / seat / month (USD)	$1,140	$940
Submarkets covered	6	5
Corporate tax	28%	21%

Lease norms

Metric	Boston	Seattle
Typical term	10 yrs	10 yrs
Typical rent-free	18 mos	16 mos
Lease norms	Modified-gross with op-ex escalations. Rent-free 18-24 months on 10-year term standard. Lab leases carry distinct economics — base rent plus operating expenses plus utilities pass-through.	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 + Massachusetts corporate tax 28%.	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	Boston	Seattle
Talent index (0–100)	95	92
Talent note	Deepest STEM and life-sciences talent pool in the US — anchored by MIT, Harvard, BU. Average all-in compensation indexes 95.	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

Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station.

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 — Boston

Cambridge & Kendall Square — trophy tier · $110/sqft/yr
Kendall Square — trophy tier · $105/sqft/yr
Seaport — trophy tier · $85/sqft/yr

Top submarkets — Seattle

Downtown CBD — trophy tier · $65/sqft/yr
South Lake Union — trophy tier · $60/sqft/yr
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

Boston has the deeper talent index (95/100 vs 92/100).

Pick by tax

Seattle has the lower headline corporate tax (21% vs 28%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially.

Pick by lease optionality

Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months free; Seattle runs 10 years with 16 months free.

Pick by transit

Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. 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 Boston, 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Class A office cheaper in Boston or Seattle?: Seattle is cheaper on a USD basis: $52/sqft vs $78/sqft.
Which has better talent depth, Boston or Seattle?: Boston indexes higher on talent depth (95 vs 92).
Which has more sublease availability, Boston or Seattle?: Seattle carries higher vacancy (26.4% vs 19.5%) and therefore typically more sublease">sublease overhang.
What lease term should I expect in Boston vs Seattle?: Boston typical term is 10 years with 18 months rent-free; Seattle typical term is 10 years with 16 months rent-free.
How does transit and commuter access compare?: Boston: MBTA subway, commuter rail, and Logan Airport access. Silver Line connects the Seaport to South Station. 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 — Lead market analyst. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our methodology and editorial standards.

Primary sources for this page

CBRE Marketview reports — CBRE
JLL Office Insight — JLL
Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat — Cushman & Wakefield
Savills World Research — Savills
Colliers Global Office Outlook — Colliers

Full sources index · Submit a correction