City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Stockton, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Stockton, CA are 1.4% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $101,400 in Stockton, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,395 in Stockton, CA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 23% in Stockton, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Stockton, CA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Olympia, WA to Stockton, CA ($119,630 → $133,060), while prices change by +1.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +9.7% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Stockton, CA: price level 105.1 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Stockton, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 105.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,369 in Stockton | $98,650 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,395/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $48,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Stockton-Lodi, CA MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Stockton-Lodi, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Stockton |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 115.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 158.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 105.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Stockton, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.4%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
65 Fair offer
Stockton, CA → Olympia, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
72 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Stockton, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Stockton, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Stockton, CA | Real change, Olympia → Stockton |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $77,161 | +9.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $93,358 | +9.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $111,896 | +9.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $133,060 | +9.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $157,236 | +9.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Stockton, CA | Stockton pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $97,400 | $96,085 (−8.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $138,550 | $136,679 (+10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $83,570 | $82,442 (−12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $134,580 | $132,763 (+6.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.