City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 5.4% higher than in Anchorage, AK. Someone earning $100,000 in Anchorage, AK would need about $105,400 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 $1,243 in Anchorage, AK. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 19% in Anchorage, AK.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.6% moving from Anchorage, AK to Seattle, WA ($120,348 → $119,630), while prices change by +5.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- 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
| Anchorage, AK | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,419 in Seattle | $94,859 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
86 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Seattle, WA | Real change, Anchorage → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $69,373 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $83,935 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $100,602 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $119,630 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $141,367 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,270 | $102,920 | $97,629 (+23.2%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $167,280 | $158,681 (+52.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $99,370 | $94,262 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $128,260 | $121,667 (+5.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.