City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 10.9% higher than in Port St. Lucie, FL. Someone earning $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL would need about $110,900 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,467 in Port St. Lucie, FL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 22% in Port St. Lucie, FL.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +5.5% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Seattle, WA ($113,356 → $119,630), while prices change by +10.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.8% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,880 in Seattle | $90,187 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
27 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.9%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Seattle, WA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $69,373 | −4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $83,935 | −4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $100,602 | −4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $119,630 | −4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $141,367 | −4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $102,920 | $92,821 (+73.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $167,280 | $150,866 (+17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $99,370 | $89,619 (+12.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $128,260 | $115,674 (+40.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.