City comparison
Austin, TX vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 13.3% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $113,300 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 $1,562 in Austin, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 24% in Austin, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.3% moving from Austin, TX to Seattle, WA ($109,428 → $119,630), while prices change by +13.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- 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
| Austin, TX | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,325 in Seattle | $88,242 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Seattle, WA | Real change, Austin → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $69,373 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $83,935 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $100,602 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $119,630 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $141,367 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $134,100 | $161,780 | $142,758 (+6.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $167,280 | $147,611 (+10.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $99,370 | $87,686 (+5.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $128,260 | $113,179 (+15.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.