City comparison
Cincinnati, 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 16.5% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $116,500 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.9% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Seattle, WA ($110,865 → $119,630), while prices change by +16.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,528 in Seattle | $85,816 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/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 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Seattle, WA | Real change, Cincinnati → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $69,373 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $83,935 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $100,602 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $119,630 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $141,367 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $102,920 | $88,322 (+36.4%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $167,280 | $143,553 (+18.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $99,370 | $85,275 (+5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $128,260 | $110,068 (+31.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.