Cost of living by state
Weighing a move? Compare any two states side by side — cost of living, taxes, and demographics — then pick your specialty to see what that salary is really worth once it's adjusted for local prices. Green means cheaper or better; red means pricier or worse.
Overall cost of living
Arizona is 5.9% cheaper overall than Washington.
What Physician Assistant pay is really worth
Median pay → estimated after-tax take-home → adjusted for each state's cost of living.
Washington
- Median pay
- $164,430
- After tax
- $123,141
$115,085worth here
Arizona
- Median pay
- $140,850
- After tax
- $103,878
$103,156worth here
Pay source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — “Physician Assistants”.
Take-home is an estimate for a single filer taking the standard deduction (federal + FICA + state income tax, wages only) — not tax advice.
| Metric | Washington | Arizona |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living (US avg = 100) | ||
| Overall cost of living | 107.0 | 100.7 |
| Housing (rent) | 126.0 | 106.8 |
| Utilities | 92.9 | 92.3 |
| Goods | 104.4 | 95.4 |
| Other services | 103.9 | 102.8 |
| Taxes | ||
| Top income tax rate | 0% | 2.50% |
| Sales tax (avg) | 9.43% | 8.41% |
| Property tax (effective) | 0.75% | 0.44% |
| About the state | ||
| Population | 7,740,984 | 7,268,175 |
| Median household income | $94,952 | $76,872 |
| Median age | 38.2 | 38.8 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.90% | 67% |
| Median home value | $519,800 | $358,900 |
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities (2024) · U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts · Tax Foundation. Figures are the latest published; cost-of-living is a price-level index, not tax-adjusted take-home pay.
Browse all state profiles
VitalPost shows sourced, public data for context only — it isn't financial or tax advice. Cost-of-living is a price-level index (US average = 100); taxes shown are statewide/averaged and don't capture local income or the specifics of your situation.