City comparison
Jacksonville, FL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.7% higher than in Jacksonville, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Jacksonville, FL would need about $111,700 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 $1,382 in Jacksonville, FL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 21% in Jacksonville, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Jacksonville, FL to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.6% in real buying power.
- Jacksonville, FL: price level 99.5 (about average)
- 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
| Jacksonville, FL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 99.5 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,709 in Seattle | $89,518 in Jacksonville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,382/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 21% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,830 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Jacksonville, FL HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jacksonville, FL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jacksonville | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 87.5 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 99.5 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jacksonville, FL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Jacksonville, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.7%; rent takes 21% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jacksonville, FL is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Jacksonville, FL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jacksonville, FL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Jacksonville → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | +0.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | +0.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | +0.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | +0.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | +0.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jacksonville, FL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Jacksonville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,080 | $102,920 | $92,132 (+50.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,330 | $167,280 | $149,746 (+14.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,960 | $99,370 | $88,954 (+11.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,520 | $128,260 | $114,816 (+37.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.