City comparison
Manchester, NH vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Manchester, NH are 1.9% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $101,900 in Manchester, NH to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,552 in Manchester, NH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 24% in Manchester, NH.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in NH and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Manchester, NH to Olympia, WA ($120,548 → $119,630), while prices change by −1.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.1% in real buying power.
- Manchester, NH: price level 105.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Manchester, NH | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.7 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,119 in Olympia | $101,917 in Manchester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,552/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (NH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,530 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Manchester, NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Manchester-Nashua, NH and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Manchester | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 134.2 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 97.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 133.5 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 103.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 105.7 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Manchester, NH → Olympia, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
Olympia, WA → Manchester, NH
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Manchester, NH is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Manchester, NH to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Manchester, NH | Olympia, WA | Real change, Manchester → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $69,373 | +1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $83,935 | +1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,602 | +1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $119,630 | +1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $141,367 | +1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Manchester, NH | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Manchester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,380 | $104,650 | $106,656 (+45.3%) |
| Software Developers | $162,090 | $124,060 | $126,438 (−22.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,660 | $94,470 | $96,281 (+15.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $98,600 | $125,020 | $127,416 (+29.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.