City comparison
Olympia, WA vs San Antonio, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 9.5% higher than in San Antonio, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in San Antonio, TX would need about $109,500 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 $1,177 in San Antonio, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 18% in San Antonio, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.7% moving from Olympia, WA to San Antonio, TX ($119,630 → $108,001), while prices change by −8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.2% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- San Antonio, TX: price level 94.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | San Antonio, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 94.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $91,363 in San Antonio | $109,454 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,177/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $47,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | San Antonio |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 94.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 82.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 94.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → San Antonio, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
98 Strong offer
San Antonio, TX → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; San Antonio, TX is in San Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to San Antonio, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | San Antonio, TX | Real change, Olympia → San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,629 | −1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,776 | −1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,823 | −1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $108,001 | −1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $127,624 | −1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | San Antonio, TX | San Antonio pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $61,720 | $67,555 (−35.4%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $128,430 | $140,571 (+13.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $78,650 | $86,085 (−8.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $94,370 | $103,291 (−17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.