City comparison
Minneapolis, MN vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 6.0% higher than in Minneapolis, MN. Someone earning $100,000 in Minneapolis, MN would need about $106,000 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 $1,405 in Minneapolis, MN. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 23% in Minneapolis, MN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.1% moving from Minneapolis, MN to Seattle, WA ($116,038 → $119,630), while prices change by +6.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.8% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Minneapolis, MN | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,021 in Seattle | $94,321 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
40 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.0%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
88 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | Seattle, WA | Real change, Minneapolis → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $69,373 | −2.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $83,935 | −2.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $100,602 | −2.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $119,630 | −2.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $141,367 | −2.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $130,710 | $161,780 | $152,593 (+16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $167,280 | $157,781 (+20.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $99,370 | $93,727 (+8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $128,260 | $120,976 (+17.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.