City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 10.1% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $110,100 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.8% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Olympia, WA ($121,785 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,087 in Olympia | $90,837 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
39 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.1%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Olympia, WA | Real change, Hagerstown → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $69,373 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $83,935 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $100,602 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $119,630 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $141,367 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $104,650 | $95,061 (+50.4%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $124,060 | $112,693 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $94,470 | $85,814 (+14.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $125,020 | $113,565 (+22.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.