Austin $120k vs Seattle $160k after taxes and rent
Quick answer
Offer B’s estimated take-home is higher by $27,376 / year.
Both sides use tax year 2026 federal income tax + employee FICA for supported no–state-wage-tax states (TX and WA). Offer B’s estimated take-home is higher by $27,376 / year. HUD Fair Market Rent for Austin vs Seattle is the housing benchmark — swap in your listing rents in the interactive compare before deciding.
Offer A · Austin, TX
- Gross: $120,000 / year
- Filing: single (default — change in interactive compare)
- Estimated take-home: $93,250 / year ($7,771 / mo)
- HUD area: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA
- HUD 2-bedroom rent: $1,852 / mo
- Rent / net: 23.8%
- Verdict: Likely manageable on a 30% planning rule
| Bedroom | HUD FMR / mo | Rent / net |
|---|---|---|
| studio | $1,474 | 19.0% |
| 1-bedroom | $1,562 | 20.1% |
| 2-bedroom | $1,852 | 23.8% ← |
| 3-bedroom | $2,347 | 30.2% |
| 4-bedroom | $2,760 | 35.5% |
Offer B · Seattle, WA
- Gross: $160,000 / year
- Filing: single (default — change in interactive compare)
- Estimated take-home: $120,626 / year ($10,052 / mo)
- HUD area: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD 2-bedroom rent: $2,501 / mo
- Rent / net: 24.9%
- Verdict: Likely manageable on a 30% planning rule
| Bedroom | HUD FMR / mo | Rent / net |
|---|---|---|
| studio | $2,074 | 20.6% |
| 1-bedroom | $2,146 | 21.3% |
| 2-bedroom | $2,501 | 24.9% ← |
| 3-bedroom | $3,272 | 32.6% |
| 4-bedroom | $3,847 | 38.3% |
How to read this
- Take-home is federal + employee FICA for supported no–state-tax states only.
- Rent / net uses HUD FMR for the bedroom count on each side — override with listing quotes.
- A common planning shorthand is keeping rent near 30% of take-home; it is not a rule you must follow.
- Filing status defaults to single on this page; change it in the interactive tool.
When this compare matters
Use this page when you are weighing a move between Austin, TX and Seattle, WA at the listed grosses. The bedroom ladder under each offer shows how HUD rent-to-net shifts if you take a smaller or larger unit — often the real lever after taxes. If either metro has a different cost of living for cars, insurance, or childcare, treat rent-to-net as one input, not the whole decision.
Assumptions
- Tax year 2026 · single filing · no itemizing, credits, or AMT.
- Employee FICA only (Social Security + Medicare wage base rules in the engine).
- No state wage income tax modeled — both sides must be supported states in v0.
- Housing = HUD Fair Market Rent for the listed metro and bedroom count.
FAQ
Which offer has higher estimated take-home: Austin or Seattle?
Austin $120,000 → $93,250/yr; Seattle $160,000 → $120,626/yr. Offer B’s estimated take-home is higher by $27,376 / year.
Does filing status change this compare?
These static pages use single filing status. Married filing jointly and other statuses change federal brackets — open the interactive compare and switch filing before treating rent-to-net as a planning signal.
Is HUD Fair Market Rent the same as asking rent?
No. FMR is a metro-level HUD program benchmark by bedroom count. Neighborhood, commute, and amenities can put your real rent above or below FMR.
Run your own compare
Open interactive compare with these inputs