City comparison
New Orleans, LA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 20.0% higher than in New Orleans, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in New Orleans, LA would need about $120,000 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 $1,113 in New Orleans, LA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, 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 Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from New Orleans, LA to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +20.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- New Orleans, LA: price level 92.6 (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
| New Orleans, LA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,018 in Seattle | $83,321 in New Orleans |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,113/mo | $2,146/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% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,290 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New Orleans-Metairie, LA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New Orleans | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.0 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New Orleans, LA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → New Orleans, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.0%; 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; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New Orleans, LA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New Orleans, LA | Seattle, WA | Real change, New Orleans → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New Orleans, LA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in New Orleans dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,350 | $102,920 | $85,754 (+42.1%) |
| Software Developers | $106,950 | $167,280 | $139,379 (+30.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $99,370 | $82,796 (+6.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,850 | $128,260 | $106,867 (+30.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.