City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 3.6% higher than in Atlanta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Atlanta, GA would need about $103,600 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA and $1,682 in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.3% moving from Atlanta, GA to Olympia, WA ($112,556 → $119,630), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.6% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Atlanta, GA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,610 in Olympia | $96,516 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
57 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Atlanta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Olympia, WA | Real change, Atlanta → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,373 | +2.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,935 | +2.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,602 | +2.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $119,630 | +2.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,367 | +2.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $104,650 | $101,004 (+31.9%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $124,060 | $119,738 (−9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $94,470 | $91,179 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $125,020 | $120,664 (+20.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.