City comparison
Albany, NY vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.6% higher than in Albany, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Albany, NY would need about $111,600 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,417 in Albany, NY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 23% in Albany, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Albany, NY than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.9% moving from Albany, NY to Seattle, WA ($109,810 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Albany, NY: price level 99.6 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Albany, NY | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,617 in Seattle | $89,592 in Albany |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,417/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,460 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Albany | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 102.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 134.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 99.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Albany, NY → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Albany, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Albany, NY is in the Albany-Schenectady, NY-MA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Albany, NY to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Albany, NY | Seattle, WA | Real change, Albany → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,678 | $69,373 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,045 | $83,935 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,344 | $100,602 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,810 | $119,630 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,763 | $141,367 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Albany, NY | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Albany dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,240 | $102,920 | $92,208 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,910 | $167,280 | $149,869 (+17.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,660 | $99,370 | $89,027 (+5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,970 | $128,260 | $114,910 (+14.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.