Residential comparison · 13 facts
Olympia, WA vs Shoreline, 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 Olympia needs about $89,500 in Shoreline to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Shoreline, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $80,500 in Olympia.
A few differences
- Shoreline is higher on median household income ($112,751 vs $81,302).
- Olympia is lower on cost of living index (116 vs 141).
- Olympia is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,685/mo vs $2,214/mo).
Olympia vs Shoreline · facet by facet
| Facet | Olympia, WA | Shoreline, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $486,200 | $811,100 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,685/mo | $2,214/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.87% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9.4% | 9.4% |
| Cost of living index | 116 | 141 |
| Groceries index | 106 | 106 |
| Utilities | $155/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $81,302 | $112,751 |
| 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: Olympia, WA · Shoreline, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Olympia cheaper than Shoreline?
- Olympia has the lower day-to-day cost index (116 vs 141 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Shoreline equals $85,000 in Olympia?
- A household earning $85,000 in Olympia needs about $89,500 in Shoreline to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Shoreline lifestyle costs about $80,500 in Olympia.