City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 2.8% higher than in Salt Lake City, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Salt Lake City, UT would need about $102,800 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 $1,456 in Salt Lake City, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 23% in Salt Lake City, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Olympia, WA to Salt Lake City, UT ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −2.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.6% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,297 in Salt Lake City | $102,778 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Salt Lake City, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
77 Strong offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Salt Lake City, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Olympia → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | −8.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | −8.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | −8.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | −8.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | −8.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $77,920 | $80,085 (−23.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $129,600 | $133,200 (+7.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $82,100 | $84,381 (−10.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $85,890 | $88,276 (−29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.