CostIndexUSA

College Station, TX vs Olympia, WA Cost of Living

Data: BEA Regional Price Parities · Census ACS · 2024

More AffordableTX
College Station
91
overall index
$1,700/mo rent
WA
Olympia
103.7
overall index
$2,025/mo rent

College Station is moderately cheaper than Olympia — 14.0% lower overall cost of living.

To match an $80,000 salary in College Station, you would need $91,200 in Olympia. Calculate your salary ↓

Category Breakdown

Index values: 100 = U.S. national average. Higher = more expensive.

🏠 Housing+55.4%
College Station
75.1
Olympia
116.7
🛒 Groceries+11.9%
College Station
93.8
Olympia
105
🚗 Transportation+3.3%
College Station
101.1
Olympia
104.4
🏥 Healthcare+3.4%
College Station
91.4
Olympia
94.5
Utilities+8.6%
College Station
84.4
Olympia
91.7

Salary Equivalency Calculator

Enter your current salary in College Station to see what you'd need to earn in Olympia to maintain the same purchasing power.

$
Equivalent salary in Olympia, WA
$91,200
$11,200 more needed in Olympia

Formula: salary × (103.7 ÷ 91) = salary × 1.1396. Based on BEA Regional Price Parities.

Housing Market

College Station, TX

Median Home Price
$301,000
Median Monthly Rent
$1,700
Housing Index
75.1
Price-to-Rent Ratio
14.8×

Olympia, WA

Median Home Price
$518,000
Median Monthly Rent
$2,025
Housing Index
116.7
Price-to-Rent Ratio
21.3×

Olympia has 55.4% higher housing costs compared to College Station.

Income & Job Market

College Station, TX

Median Household Income
$54,700
Per Capita Income
$31,200
Unemployment Rate
4.8%
Population
120,511
Top Industries
EducationTechnologyHealthcareGovernmentResearch

Olympia, WA

Median Household Income
$93,200
Per Capita Income
$53,100
Unemployment Rate
4.1%
Population
53,532
Top Industries
GovernmentHealthcareEducationRetailManufacturing

Affordability at a Glance

Income-to-rent ratio: higher is better (more income relative to housing costs).

College Station, TX
2.7×income-to-rent ratio

63% of income left after rent (median)

Olympia, WA
3.8×income-to-rent ratio

74% of income left after rent (median)

Data Sources: Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities 2024; U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Zillow Research.

Cost indices use 100 as the U.S. national average. Values above 100 indicate costs above the national average. Data is updated annually.

This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for relocation or financial decisions.