City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 7.2% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $107,200 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 $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- Both are in WA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Seattle-Tacoma, WA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $119,630 in either. A transfer from Olympia, WA to Seattle, WA changes real buying power by −6.7%, purely from prices.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Olympia, WA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,199 in Seattle | $93,285 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
36 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Olympia → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $69,373 | −6.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $83,935 | −6.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $100,602 | −6.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $119,630 | −6.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $141,367 | −6.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $102,920 | $96,009 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $167,280 | $156,047 (+25.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $99,370 | $92,697 (−1.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $128,260 | $119,647 (−4.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.