City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Bremerton, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 1.1% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $101,100 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD and $1,548 in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Baltimore, MD to Bremerton, WA ($121,785 → $119,630), while prices change by +1.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Bremerton, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 105.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,072 in Bremerton | $98,939 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,548/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $63,200 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Bremerton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 129.6 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 92.0 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 105.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Bremerton, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
65 Fair offer
Bremerton, WA → Baltimore, MD
Roughly even
Buying power +1.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Bremerton, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Bremerton, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Bremerton, WA | Real change, Baltimore → Bremerton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,373 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $83,935 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $100,602 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $119,630 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $141,367 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Bremerton, WA | Bremerton pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $102,650 | $101,561 (+32.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $146,200 | $144,649 (+4.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $88,250 | $87,314 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $107,220 | $106,083 (+6.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.