City comparison
Boston, MA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 2.6% higher than in Boston, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Boston, MA would need about $102,600 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $2,146 in Seattle, WA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 33% in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Boston, MA to Seattle, WA ($120,548 → $119,630), while prices change by +2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.3% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much 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
| Boston, MA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,648 in Seattle | $97,420 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
49 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → Boston, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Boston → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $69,373 | −3.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $83,935 | −3.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,602 | −3.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $119,630 | −3.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $141,367 | −3.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $102,920 | $100,265 (+2.2%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $167,280 | $162,965 (−1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $99,370 | $96,806 (−3.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $128,260 | $124,951 (+17.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.