City comparison
Olympia, WA vs San Jose, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in San Jose, CA are 6.5% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $106,500 in San Jose, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,982 a month in San Jose, CA versus $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 48% of take-home pay in San Jose, CA and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in San Jose, CA than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +11.2% moving from Olympia, WA to San Jose, CA ($119,630 → $133,060), while prices change by +6.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.4% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- San Jose, CA: price level 110.4 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Olympia, WA | San Jose, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 110.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,514 in San Jose | $93,884 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $2,982/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% | 48% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $84,050 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | San Jose |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 211.9 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 156.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 110.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → San Jose, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.1%; rent takes 48% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
15 Weak offer
San Jose, CA → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.5%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; San Jose, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to San Jose, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | San Jose, CA | Real change, Olympia → San Jose |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $77,161 | +4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $93,358 | +4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $111,896 | +4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $133,060 | +4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $157,236 | +4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | San Jose, CA | San Jose pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $102,860 | $96,570 (−7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $213,110 | $200,077 (+61.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $121,700 | $114,257 (+20.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $216,740 | $203,485 (+62.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.