City comparison
Olympia, WA vs Sacramento, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 2.9% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $102,900 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.4% moving from Olympia, WA to Sacramento, CA ($119,630 → $117,984), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.1% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | Sacramento, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 106.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,894 in Sacramento | $97,188 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $1,832/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $59,750 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 130.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 151.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 106.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.8%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
53 Fair offer
Sacramento, CA → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
77 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Sacramento, CA is in Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Sacramento, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Sacramento, CA | Real change, Olympia → Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $68,419 | −4.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $82,780 | −4.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $99,218 | −4.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $117,984 | −4.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $139,422 | −4.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Sacramento, CA | Sacramento pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $103,390 | $100,482 (−4.0%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $139,640 | $135,713 (+9.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $92,110 | $89,519 (−5.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $171,460 | $166,638 (+33.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.