City comparison
Gulfport, MS vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 15.2% higher than in Gulfport, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Gulfport, MS would need about $115,200 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 $923 in Gulfport, MS. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 15% in Gulfport, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Gulfport, MS than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Gulfport, MS to Olympia, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +15.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.4% in real buying power.
- Gulfport, MS: price level 90.0 (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
| Gulfport, MS | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.0 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $115,181 in Olympia | $86,820 in Gulfport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $923/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,470 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Gulfport-Biloxi, MS and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Gulfport | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.9 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 76.3 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 90.0 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Gulfport, MS → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Gulfport, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.2%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Gulfport, MS is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Gulfport, MS to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Gulfport, MS | Olympia, WA | Real change, Gulfport → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −2.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −2.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −2.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −2.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −2.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Gulfport, MS | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Gulfport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,820 | $104,650 | $90,857 (+78.8%) |
| Software Developers | $104,240 | $124,060 | $107,709 (+3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,380 | $94,470 | $82,019 (+7.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,960 | $125,020 | $108,542 (+37.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.