City comparison
Houston, TX vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 5.1% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $105,100 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 20% in Houston, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.5% moving from Houston, TX to Olympia, WA ($122,749 → $119,630), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (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
| Houston, TX | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,111 in Olympia | $95,137 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
53 Fair offer
Olympia, WA → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Olympia, WA | Real change, Houston → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $69,373 | −7.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $83,935 | −7.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $100,602 | −7.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $119,630 | −7.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $141,367 | −7.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $104,650 | $99,561 (+54.4%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $124,060 | $118,028 (−8.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $94,470 | $89,876 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $125,020 | $118,941 (+19.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.