City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 7.6% higher than in Phoenix, AZ. Someone earning $100,000 in Phoenix, AZ would need about $107,600 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 $1,583 in Phoenix, AZ. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 25% in Phoenix, AZ.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.4% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Seattle, WA ($111,338 → $119,630), while prices change by +7.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.1% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,566 in Seattle | $92,966 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
35 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Seattle, WA | Real change, Phoenix → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $69,373 | −0.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $83,935 | −0.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $100,602 | −0.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $119,630 | −0.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $141,367 | −0.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $102,920 | $95,681 (+61.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $167,280 | $155,514 (+18.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $99,370 | $92,380 (+14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $128,260 | $119,238 (+18.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.