City comparison
Bremerton, WA vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Bremerton, WA are 1.9% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $101,900 in Bremerton, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,682 a month in Olympia, WA versus $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- Both are in WA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Seattle-Tacoma, WA), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $119,630 in either. A transfer from Bremerton, WA to Olympia, WA changes real buying power by +1.9%, purely from prices.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,166 in Olympia | $101,868 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Olympia, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
Olympia, WA → Bremerton, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Bremerton, WA to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Olympia, WA | Real change, Bremerton → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $69,373 | +1.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $83,935 | +1.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $100,602 | +1.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $119,630 | +1.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $141,367 | +1.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $104,650 | $106,605 (+3.9%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $124,060 | $126,378 (−13.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $94,470 | $96,235 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $125,020 | $127,356 (+18.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.