Moving from Seattle to Rochester
Moving to Rochester costs you $399 a month
−$4,788 a year for the same registered nurse, the same household size, and the same number of bedrooms.
Seattle leftover
$3,402
a month after tax and rent
Rochester leftover
$3,003
−$399 vs Seattle
| Per month | Seattle | Rochester | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $9,375 | $8,281 | −$1,094 |
| Income and payroll tax | $2,081 | $2,198 | +$117 |
| Take-home pay | $7,294 | $6,084 | −$1,211 |
| Rent | $1,761 | $1,344 | −$417 |
| Getting around | $493 | $461 | −$32 |
| Groceries | $452 | $352 | −$100 |
| Healthcare | $508 | $396 | −$112 |
| Utilities | $283 | $220 | −$63 |
| Everything else | $395 | $308 | −$87 |
| Left over | $3,402 | $3,003 | −$399 |
To break even in Rochester, you'd need to earn
$107,000
Household gross, versus $112,500 today. That's the salary that leaves you exactly as much at the end of the month as Seattle does now.
The tax difference alone
−$5,294
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.2% in Seattle, 26.5% in Rochester.
More about Rochester
Seattle, WA in full
No state income tax and high wages, offset by home prices and 150 sunny days.
Rochester, MN in full
State income tax topping out at 9.85%, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,600 and 195 sunny days; commutes average 21 minutes.
The reverse move
Same two cities, but starting from Rochester on Rochester wages.
Rochester → Seattle →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Rochester than Seattle?
A one-bedroom is about $1,761 in Seattle versus $1,344 in Rochester. On a one-adult, one-bedroom household, leftover is about $399 a month lower in Rochester. Change the job or household on the comparison to see your number.
Does Rochester have state income tax?
Rochester is in Minnesota, which taxes wage income.
What changes if you move from Seattle to Rochester?
Take-home pay is recalculated under Minnesota 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.