City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 13.0% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $113,000 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 $1,381 in Boise City, ID. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 22% in Boise City, ID.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Boise City, ID to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +13.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −0.5% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (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
| Boise City, ID | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,950 in Seattle | $88,534 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Boise City, ID
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Seattle, WA | Real change, Boise City → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $102,920 | $91,120 (+48.8%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $167,280 | $148,100 (+12.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $99,370 | $87,977 (+14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $128,260 | $113,554 (+16.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.