City comparison
San Jose, CA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in San Jose, CA (110.4) and Seattle, WA (111.1, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in San Jose, CA goes as far as $100,600 in Seattle, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $2,146 in Seattle, WA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 33% in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.1% moving from San Jose, CA to Seattle, WA ($133,060 → $119,630), while prices change by +0.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much 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
| San Jose, CA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 110.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,643 in Seattle | $99,361 in San Jose |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,982/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 48% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $84,050 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | San Jose | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 211.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 156.7 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 110.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
San Jose, CA → Seattle, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
55 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → San Jose, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.6%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
36 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
San Jose, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from San Jose, CA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | San Jose, CA | Seattle, WA | Real change, San Jose → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $69,373 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $83,935 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $100,602 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $119,630 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $141,367 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | San Jose, CA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in San Jose dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,860 | $102,920 | $102,262 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $213,110 | $167,280 | $166,211 (−22.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $121,700 | $99,370 | $98,735 (−18.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $216,740 | $128,260 | $127,441 (−41.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.