City comparison
Brownsville, TX vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 20.6% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $120,600 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 $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 13% in Brownsville, 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 +12.4% moving from Brownsville, TX to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +20.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.8% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,582 in Olympia | $82,931 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/mo | $1,682/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 | 13% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.1%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.6%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Brownsville, TX to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Olympia, WA | Real change, Brownsville → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $104,650 | $86,788 (+37.0%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $124,060 | $102,885 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $94,470 | $78,345 (+17.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $125,020 | $103,681 (+27.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.