City comparison
New York, NY vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 1.3% higher than in Seattle, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Seattle, WA would need about $101,300 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 $2,146 in Seattle, WA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 33% in Seattle, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.6% moving from New York, NY to Seattle, WA ($125,431 → $119,630), while prices change by −1.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.4% in real buying power.
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much 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
| New York, NY | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 112.6 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,730 in Seattle | $101,287 in New York |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,655/mo | $2,146/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% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,430 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | New York | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 148.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 110.3 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 127.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 105.8 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 112.6 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
New York, NY → Seattle, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
61 Fair offer
Seattle, WA → New York, NY
Roughly even
Buying power −1.3%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
New York, NY is in the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from New York, NY to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | New York, NY | Seattle, WA | Real change, New York → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $72,737 | $69,373 | −3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $88,005 | $83,935 | −3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $105,481 | $100,602 | −3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $125,431 | $119,630 | −3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $148,222 | $141,367 | −3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | New York, NY | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in New York dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $96,900 | $102,920 | $104,244 (+7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $166,830 | $167,280 | $169,432 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $105,650 | $99,370 | $100,649 (−4.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $119,720 | $128,260 | $129,910 (+8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.