City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 20.6% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $120,600 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 $1,154 in Memphis, TN. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 17% in Memphis, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Memphis, TN to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,562 in Seattle | $82,945 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Memphis, TN to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Seattle, WA | Real change, Memphis → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $102,920 | $85,367 (+38.8%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $167,280 | $138,750 (+10.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $99,370 | $82,422 (+7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $128,260 | $106,385 (+30.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.