Residential comparison · 13 facts
Burien, WA vs Olympia, WA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Burien needs about $82,500 in Olympia to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Olympia, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $87,500 in Burien.
A few differences
- Burien is higher on median household income ($91,318 vs $81,302).
- Olympia is lower on cost of living index (116 vs 126).
- Olympia is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,685/mo vs $1,824/mo).
Burien vs Olympia · facet by facet
| Facet | Burien, WA | Olympia, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $638,800 | $486,200 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,824/mo | $1,685/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| Cost of living index | 126 | 116 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $91,318 | $81,302 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Crime index | 50/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 155 days | 155 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Burien, WA · Olympia, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Burien cheaper than Olympia?
- Olympia has the lower day-to-day cost index (116 vs 126 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Olympia equals $85,000 in Burien?
- A household earning $85,000 in Burien needs about $82,500 in Olympia to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Olympia lifestyle costs about $87,500 in Burien.