City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Chattanooga, TN
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 15.5% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $115,500 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,548 a month in Bremerton, WA versus $1,263 in Chattanooga, TN. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Bremerton, WA and 19% in Chattanooga, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in TN.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Bremerton, WA to Chattanooga, TN ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.7% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (pricier)
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Bremerton, WA | Chattanooga, TN | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,608 in Chattanooga | $115,463 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,263/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (TN) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $46,700 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Chattanooga, TN-GA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 76.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.0 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 74.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 95.3 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Chattanooga, TN → Bremerton, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Chattanooga, TN is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Chattanooga, TN at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Chattanooga, TN | Real change, Bremerton → Chattanooga |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +2.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +2.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +2.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +2.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +2.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Chattanooga, TN | Chattanooga pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $59,830 | $69,081 (−32.7%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $106,750 | $123,257 (−15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $76,680 | $88,537 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $79,770 | $92,105 (−14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.