City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Rochester, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Olympia, WA are 6.8% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $106,800 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 $1,256 in Rochester, NY. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Olympia, WA and 20% in Rochester, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Olympia, WA to Rochester, NY ($119,630 → $107,182), while prices change by −6.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.3% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Rochester, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 97.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,600 in Rochester | $106,838 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,256/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $51,210 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Rochester, NY MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Rochester, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Rochester |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 87.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 133.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 97.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
90 Strong offer
Rochester, NY → Olympia, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
48 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Rochester, NY is in Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Rochester, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Rochester, NY | Real change, Olympia → Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $62,155 | −4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $75,202 | −4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $90,135 | −4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $107,182 | −4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $126,657 | −4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Rochester, NY | Rochester pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $62,840 | $67,137 (−35.8%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $122,770 | $131,165 (+5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $80,890 | $86,421 (−8.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $86,570 | $92,489 (−26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.