City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 12.8% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $112,800 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 $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Augusta, GA to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +12.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.4% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,804 in Olympia | $88,650 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Olympia, WA | Real change, Augusta → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −0.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −0.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −0.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −0.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −0.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $104,650 | $92,772 (+47.3%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $124,060 | $109,979 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $94,470 | $83,747 (+9.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $125,020 | $110,830 (+26.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.