City comparison
Canton, OH vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 24.3% higher than in Canton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Canton, OH would need about $124,300 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 $846 in Canton, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, 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 Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.6% moving from Canton, OH to Seattle, WA ($111,138 → $119,630), while prices change by +24.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.4% in real buying power.
- Canton, OH: price level 89.4 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Canton, OH | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $124,302 in Seattle | $80,450 in Canton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $846/mo | $2,146/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% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,810 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Canton-Massillon, OH MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Canton-Massillon, OH and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Canton | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 58.1 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 96.9 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 89.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Canton, OH → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −19.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Canton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +24.3%; 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; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Canton, OH to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Canton, OH | Seattle, WA | Real change, Canton → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $69,373 | −13.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $83,935 | −13.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $100,602 | −13.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $119,630 | −13.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $141,367 | −13.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Canton, OH | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Canton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,940 | $102,920 | $82,799 (+6.2%) |
| Software Developers | $105,500 | $167,280 | $134,576 (+27.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $72,170 | $99,370 | $79,943 (+10.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,610 | $128,260 | $103,185 (+29.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.