City comparison
Seattle, WA vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 15.8% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $115,800 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in York, PA than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.8% moving from Seattle, WA to York, PA ($119,630 → $121,785), while prices change by −13.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.8% in real buying power.
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Seattle, WA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.1 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,383 in York | $115,764 in Seattle |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,146/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $72,610 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Seattle | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.3 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 104.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 92.8 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 106.8 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 111.1 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Seattle, WA → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.8%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
York, PA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
26 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Seattle, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Seattle, WA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Seattle, WA | York, PA | Real change, Seattle → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $70,623 | +17.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $85,447 | +17.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $102,415 | +17.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $121,785 | +17.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $143,913 | +17.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Seattle, WA | York, PA | York pay in Seattle dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,920 | $79,730 | $92,298 (−10.3%) |
| Software Developers | $167,280 | $114,600 | $132,665 (−20.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,370 | $75,160 | $87,008 (−12.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,260 | $96,210 | $111,376 (−13.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.