City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Reno, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 2.6% higher than in Reno, NV. Someone earning $100,000 in Reno, NV would need about $102,600 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 $1,489 in Reno, NV. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 23% in Reno, NV.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.7% moving from Olympia, WA to Reno, NV ($119,630 → $106,855), while prices change by −2.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Reno, NV: price level 101.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Reno, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 101.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,438 in Reno | $102,629 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,489/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $49,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Reno-Fernley, NV |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Reno, NV HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Reno, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Reno |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 123.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 89.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 101.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Reno, NV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.6%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
77 Strong offer
Reno, NV → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.6%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Reno, NV is in Reno-Fernley, NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Reno, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Reno, NV | Real change, Olympia → Reno |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $61,965 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $74,972 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $89,859 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $106,855 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $126,271 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Reno, NV | Reno pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $62,430 | $64,071 (−38.8%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $125,710 | $129,015 (+4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $82,370 | $84,536 (−10.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $107,520 | $110,347 (−11.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.