City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 6.4% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $106,400 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 $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Baltimore, MD to Seattle, WA ($121,785 → $119,630), while prices change by +6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.6% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (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
| Baltimore, MD | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,361 in Seattle | $94,020 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $2,146/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% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
39 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Seattle, WA | Real change, Baltimore → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,373 | −7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $83,935 | −7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $100,602 | −7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $119,630 | −7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $141,367 | −7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $102,920 | $96,765 (+26.7%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $167,280 | $157,276 (+13.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $99,370 | $93,427 (+9.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $128,260 | $120,590 (+21.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.