City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 3.4% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $103,400 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 $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.9% moving from Detroit, MI to Olympia, WA ($117,402 → $119,630), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,362 in Olympia | $96,747 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
58 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
79 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Olympia, WA | Real change, Detroit → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $69,373 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $83,935 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $100,602 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $119,630 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $141,367 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $104,650 | $101,246 (+55.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $124,060 | $120,025 (−8.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $94,470 | $91,397 (+13.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $125,020 | $120,954 (+24.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.