City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Chicago, IL (103.6) and Olympia, WA (103.7, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Chicago, IL goes as far as $100,100 in Olympia, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,581 in Chicago, IL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 26% in Chicago, IL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Olympia, WA ($118,984 → $119,630), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (pricier)
- 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
| Chicago, IL | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,072 in Olympia | $99,928 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Olympia, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
68 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Chicago, IL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Olympia, WA | Real change, Chicago → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $69,373 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $83,935 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $100,602 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $119,630 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $141,367 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,390 | $104,650 | $104,574 (+33.4%) |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $124,060 | $123,970 (−7.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $94,470 | $94,402 (+14.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $125,020 | $124,930 (+24.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.