City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Port St. Lucie, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 3.4% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $103,400 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 $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.2% moving from Olympia, WA to Port St. Lucie, FL ($119,630 → $113,356), while prices change by −3.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.0% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Port St. Lucie, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,680 in Port St. Lucie | $103,434 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,467/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $46,490 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Port St. Lucie, FL MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Port St. Lucie, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 113.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 87.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
79 Strong offer
Port St. Lucie, FL → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
58 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Port St. Lucie, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Port St. Lucie, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Real change, Olympia → Port St. Lucie |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $65,735 | −2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $79,533 | −2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $95,326 | −2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $113,356 | −2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $133,953 | −2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Port St. Lucie, FL | Port St. Lucie pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $53,610 | $55,451 (−47.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $128,510 | $132,923 (+7.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $79,430 | $82,158 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $82,090 | $84,909 (−32.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.