City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 11.8% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $111,800 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +8.4% moving from Dayton, OH to Olympia, WA ($110,401 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,841 in Olympia | $89,413 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Olympia, WA | Real change, Dayton → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $69,373 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $83,935 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $100,602 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $119,630 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $141,367 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $104,650 | $93,570 (+16.4%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $124,060 | $110,925 (+3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $94,470 | $84,468 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $125,020 | $111,784 (+35.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.