City comparison
Knoxville, TN vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 20.1% higher than in Knoxville, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Knoxville, TN would need about $120,100 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 $1,184 in Knoxville, TN. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 18% in Knoxville, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Knoxville, TN to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +20.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.4% in real buying power.
- Knoxville, TN: price level 92.6 (cheaper)
- 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
| Knoxville, TN | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $120,054 in Seattle | $83,296 in Knoxville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,184/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,080 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Knoxville, TN HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Knoxville, TN and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Knoxville | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 82.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 71.9 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 95.1 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 92.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Knoxville, TN → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Knoxville, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +20.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Knoxville, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Knoxville, TN to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Knoxville, TN | Seattle, WA | Real change, Knoxville → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | −6.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | −6.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | −6.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | −6.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | −6.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Knoxville, TN | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Knoxville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,980 | $102,920 | $85,728 (+38.3%) |
| Software Developers | $121,750 | $167,280 | $139,337 (+14.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,380 | $99,370 | $82,771 (+9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,240 | $128,260 | $106,835 (+38.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.