City comparison
Boston, MA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Boston, MA are 4.4% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $104,400 in Boston, MA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,476 a month in Boston, MA versus $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 40% of take-home pay in Boston, MA and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Boston, MA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.8% moving from Boston, MA to Olympia, WA ($120,548 → $119,630), while prices change by −4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- Boston, MA: price level 108.3 (much pricier)
- 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
| Boston, MA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 108.3 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,755 in Olympia | $104,433 in Boston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,476/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,400 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,780 (MA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 40% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $66,620 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boston | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.4 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 148.8 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 103.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 108.3 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boston, MA → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
82 Strong offer
Olympia, WA → Boston, MA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 40% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
33 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boston, MA is in the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Boston, MA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boston, MA | Olympia, WA | Real change, Boston → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,905 | $69,373 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,579 | $83,935 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,375 | $100,602 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,548 | $119,630 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,452 | $141,367 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boston, MA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Boston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,060 | $104,650 | $109,289 (+11.5%) |
| Software Developers | $166,090 | $124,060 | $129,560 (−22.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $100,150 | $94,470 | $98,658 (−1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,180 | $125,020 | $130,563 (+23.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.