City comparison
Columbus, 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 16.4% higher than in Columbus, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, OH would need about $116,400 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 $1,194 in Columbus, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 19% in Columbus, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Columbus, OH than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.7% moving from Columbus, OH to Seattle, WA ($111,065 → $119,630), while prices change by +16.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.5% in real buying power.
- Columbus, OH: price level 95.5 (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
| Columbus, OH | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.5 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,407 in Seattle | $85,905 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,194/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 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,340 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Columbus, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, OH and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.9 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 95.5 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 95.5 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, OH → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Columbus, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, OH is in the Columbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, OH to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, OH | Seattle, WA | Real change, Columbus → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,406 | $69,373 | −7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,926 | $83,935 | −7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,400 | $100,602 | −7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,065 | $119,630 | −7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,245 | $141,367 | −7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, OH | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,150 | $102,920 | $88,414 (+13.1%) |
| Software Developers | $122,340 | $167,280 | $143,702 (+17.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,700 | $99,370 | $85,364 (+4.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,900 | $128,260 | $110,182 (+31.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.