City comparison
New York, NY vs Olympia, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 8.6% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $108,600 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from New York, NY to Olympia, WA ($125,431 → $119,630), while prices change by −7.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.6% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
- 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
| New York, NY | Olympia, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 103.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $92,100 in Olympia | $108,578 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $1,682/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 43% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $61,960 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Olympia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 116.7 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 91.7 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 103.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
95 Strong offer
Olympia, WA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
17 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Olympia, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Olympia, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Olympia, WA | Real change, New York → Olympia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,373 | +3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,935 | +3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,602 | +3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $119,630 | +3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,367 | +3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Olympia, WA | Olympia pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $104,650 | $113,627 (+17.3%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $124,060 | $134,702 (−19.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $94,470 | $102,574 (−2.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $125,020 | $135,744 (+13.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.