City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 8.2% higher than in Hartford, CT. Someone earning $100,000 in Hartford, CT would need about $108,200 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 $1,477 in Hartford, CT. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 24% in Hartford, CT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.4% moving from Hartford, CT to Seattle, WA ($120,094 → $119,630), while prices change by +8.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Hartford, CT | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,163 in Seattle | $92,453 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
34 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Hartford, CT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Seattle, WA | Real change, Hartford → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $69,373 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $83,935 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $100,602 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $119,630 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $141,367 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $102,920 | $95,153 (+19.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $167,280 | $154,656 (+16.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $99,370 | $91,871 (−4.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $128,260 | $118,580 (+16.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.