City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 24.5% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $124,500 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.3% moving from Columbus, GA to Seattle, WA ($112,556 → $119,630), while prices change by +24.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.6% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Columbus, GA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,455 in Seattle | $80,351 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Columbus → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $69,373 | −14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $83,935 | −14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $100,602 | −14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $119,630 | −14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $141,367 | −14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $102,920 | $82,697 (+34.8%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $167,280 | $134,410 (+15.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $99,370 | $79,844 (+8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $128,260 | $103,058 (+24.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.