City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 11.4% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $111,400 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.9% moving from Huntsville, AL to Olympia, WA ($110,847 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,387 in Olympia | $89,777 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Olympia, WA | Real change, Huntsville → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $69,373 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $83,935 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $100,602 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $119,630 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $141,367 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $104,650 | $93,952 (+50.9%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $124,060 | $111,378 (−13.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $94,470 | $84,812 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $125,020 | $112,239 (+45.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.