City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Tallahassee, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 10.4% higher than in Tallahassee, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Tallahassee, FL would need about $110,400 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 $1,204 in Tallahassee, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 18% in Tallahassee, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Olympia, WA to Tallahassee, FL ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.8% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Tallahassee, FL: price level 93.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Tallahassee, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 93.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $90,594 in Tallahassee | $110,382 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,204/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $46,520 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Tallahassee, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Tallahassee, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 78.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 87.5 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 93.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Tallahassee, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tallahassee, FL → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
39 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Tallahassee, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Tallahassee, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Tallahassee, FL | Real change, Olympia → Tallahassee |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | −1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | −1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | −1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | −1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | −1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Tallahassee, FL | Tallahassee pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $55,020 | $60,732 (−42.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $121,800 | $134,446 (+8.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $61,840 | $68,260 (−27.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $79,430 | $87,677 (−29.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.