City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 12.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $112,000 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 17% in New Orleans, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in New Orleans, LA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from New Orleans, LA to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.4% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,958 in Olympia | $89,319 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
New Orleans, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Olympia, WA | Real change, New Orleans → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | +0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | +0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | +0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | +0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | +0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $104,650 | $93,472 (+54.9%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $124,060 | $110,809 (+3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $94,470 | $84,380 (+8.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $125,020 | $111,667 (+36.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.