City comparison
Little Rock, AR vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 24.4% higher than in Little Rock, AR. Someone earning $100,000 in Little Rock, AR would need about $124,400 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 $989 in Little Rock, AR. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 16% in Little Rock, AR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,687 a year higher in Little Rock, AR than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Little Rock, AR to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +24.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.6% in real buying power.
- Little Rock, AR: price level 89.4 (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
| Little Rock, AR | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,360 in Seattle | $80,412 in Little Rock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $989/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,493 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,687 (AR) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,790 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Little Rock | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 68.3 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 74.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Little Rock, AR → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,687/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Little Rock, AR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.4%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,687/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Little Rock, AR is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Little Rock, AR to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Little Rock, AR | Seattle, WA | Real change, Little Rock → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −9.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −9.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −9.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −9.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −9.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Little Rock, AR | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Little Rock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,580 | $102,920 | $82,760 (+41.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,070 | $167,280 | $134,513 (+29.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,810 | $99,370 | $79,905 (+21.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,070 | $128,260 | $103,136 (+27.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.