City comparison
Canton, OH vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 16.0% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $116,000 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 13% in Canton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Canton, OH than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.6% moving from Canton, OH to Olympia, WA ($111,138 → $119,630), while prices change by +16.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.2% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (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
| Canton, OH | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,954 in Olympia | $86,241 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 13% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.8%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.0%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Canton, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Olympia, WA | Real change, Canton → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,373 | −7.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $83,935 | −7.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $100,602 | −7.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $119,630 | −7.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $141,367 | −7.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $104,650 | $90,251 (+15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $124,060 | $106,991 (+1.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $94,470 | $81,472 (+12.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $125,020 | $107,818 (+35.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.