City comparison
College Station, TX vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 14.0% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $114,000 in Olympia, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 16% in College Station, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from College Station, TX to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (much cheaper)
- 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
| College Station, TX | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,984 in Olympia | $87,731 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Olympia, WA | Real change, College Station → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $104,650 | $91,811 (+58.7%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $124,060 | $108,839 (+6.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $94,470 | $82,880 (+15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $125,020 | $109,682 (+32.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.