City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Toledo, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 13.4% higher than in Toledo, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Toledo, OH would need about $113,400 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 $820 in Toledo, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 13% in Toledo, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Toledo, OH than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Olympia, WA to Toledo, OH ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.9% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Toledo, OH: price level 91.5 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Toledo, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 91.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,217 in Toledo | $113,356 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $820/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $48,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Toledo, OH MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Toledo, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 67.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 91.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Toledo, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
Toledo, OH → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
37 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Toledo, OH is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Toledo, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Toledo, OH | Real change, Olympia → Toledo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | +0.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | +0.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | +0.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | +0.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | +0.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Toledo, OH | Toledo pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $63,250 | $71,698 (−31.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $104,360 | $118,299 (−4.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $77,400 | $87,738 (−7.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $81,050 | $91,875 (−26.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.