Moving from Cedar Rapids to Seattle
You'd keep $271 more a month in Seattle
+$3,252 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Cedar Rapids leftover
$3,122
a month after tax and rent
Seattle leftover
$3,393
+$271 vs Cedar Rapids
| Per month | Cedar Rapids | Seattle | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $7,583 | $9,362 | +$1,779 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,792 | $2,077 | +$285 |
| Take-home pay | $5,792 | $7,285 | +$1,493 |
| Rent | $926 | $1,761 | +$835 |
| Getting around | $485 | $493 | +$8 |
| Groceries | $347 | $452 | +$105 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $508 | +$117 |
| Utilities | $217 | $283 | +$66 |
| Everything else | $304 | $395 | +$91 |
| Left over | $3,122 | $3,393 | +$271 |
To break even in Seattle, you'd need to earn
$107,500
Household gross, versus $91,000 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Cedar Rapids does now.
The tax difference alone
+$2,903
A year, in state and local income tax. Washington has no wage income tax.
More about Seattle
Cedar Rapids, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,102 and 202 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
Seattle, WA in full
No state income tax and high wages, offset by home prices and 150 sunny days.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Seattle on Seattle wages.
Seattle → Cedar Rapids →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Seattle than Cedar Rapids?
A one-bedroom is about $926 in Cedar Rapids versus $1,761 in Seattle. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $271 a month higher in Seattle. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Seattle have state income tax?
Seattle is in Washington, which has no state income tax.
What changes if you move from Cedar Rapids to Seattle?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Washington tax, rent is priced at the same bedroom count, and leftover is the gap. The from-to page also lists IRS households that already made the move, when that data exists.
Rent is Zillow's asking rent for each metro; taxes and living costs are modelled. An estimate, not a quote or tax advice. How this is calculated.