City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Provo, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 5.5% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $105,500 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 $1,265 in Provo, UT. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 20% in Provo, UT.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Provo, UT than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.0% moving from Olympia, WA to Provo, UT ($119,630 → $106,437), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.1% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Provo, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 98.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,755 in Provo | $105,536 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,265/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $48,010 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Provo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 104.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 78.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 98.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
86 Strong offer
Provo, UT → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
52 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Provo, UT is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Provo, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Provo, UT | Real change, Olympia → Provo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,722 | −6.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,678 | −6.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,508 | −6.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,437 | −6.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $125,776 | −6.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Provo, UT | Provo pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $62,930 | $66,414 (−36.5%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $131,210 | $138,474 (+11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $75,700 | $79,891 (−15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $81,780 | $86,307 (−31.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.