City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 12.0% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $112,000 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 $1,197 in Kansas City, MO. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 19% in Kansas City, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +10.6% moving from Kansas City, MO to Olympia, WA ($108,173 → $119,630), while prices change by +12.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.3% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,024 in Olympia | $89,267 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.7%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
37 Weak offer
Olympia, WA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Olympia, WA | Real change, Kansas City → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $69,373 | −1.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $83,935 | −1.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $100,602 | −1.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $119,630 | −1.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $141,367 | −1.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $104,650 | $93,418 (+53.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $124,060 | $110,745 (−11.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $94,470 | $84,330 (+5.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $125,020 | $111,601 (+34.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.