Compare / Philadelphia to Washington
Philadelphia, PA vs Washington, DC
Simple answer
You'd likely save $578 a month in Philadelphia.
This is the HUD 2-bedroom fair-market rent for October 2026 through September 2027. It is not your lease.
The largest cost gap in this pair is housing prices. The BEA housing price parity differs by 38.0 points (Philadelphia 113.1, Washington 151.1).
Pennsylvania taxes wages at a flat 3.07%. District of Columbia taxes wages at rates up to 10.75%. Combined sales tax differs by 0.3 percentage points, higher in Pennsylvania. The effective property tax gap is 0.53 percentage points, higher in Pennsylvania.
After a move from Pennsylvania to District of Columbia, those two example households keep the same benefit status labels. A different income can still split Medicaid and marketplace credits.
A $75,000 salary in Philadelphia lines up with about $79,629 in Washington on the 2024 all-items price parity. Census median gross rent and the commute figures are 2024. Fair Market Rents are fiscal year 2027.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $1,860
- HUD area
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD MSA
- Census median gross rent
- $1,567
- All-items price parity
- 102.6
- Goods price parity
- 96.8
- Utilities price parity
- 114.4
- Mean commute
- 29.7 min
- Median household income
- $90,850
Washington
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent
- $2,438
- HUD area
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD HUD Metro FMR Area
- Census median gross rent
- $2,037
- All-items price parity
- 108.9
- Goods price parity
- 104.8
- Utilities price parity
- 106.7
- Mean commute
- 33.8 min
- Median household income
- $126,244
Equivalent salary
The first number keeps the same place in the national price level. The second also runs 2026 federal income tax, employee Social Security and Medicare, and a simplified state income tax. Groceries use the BEA goods price parity, not a grocery receipt.
$79,629
Salary in Washington that matches the 2024 all-items regional price parity.
$81,427
Gross salary in Washington whose after-tax pay buys the same basket, using price parities.
$98,306
Scales the salary by the ratio of HUD 2-bedroom Fair Market Rents. Rent is not the whole budget.
Taxes on the two sides of the move
| Tax | Pennsylvania | District of Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| State income tax on wages | 3.07% flat | up to 10.75% |
| Combined sales tax, Jan 1, 2026 | 6.3% | 6.0% |
| Effective property tax, ACS 2024 median / median | 1.16% | 0.63% |
On a $400,000 home, the state median effective rate implies about $4,631 a year in Pennsylvania and $2,506 in District of Columbia. That illustration is not a local bill. Childcare prices are not in the verified dataset for these metros.
Benefits if you land in District of Columbia
Same household, $40,000 a year, scored once in Pennsylvania and once in District of Columbia. This is an illustration, not your application.
Food stamps (SNAP)
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
Medicaid and CHIP
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
WIC
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
School meals
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
LIHEAP
PhiladelphiaMaybe
WashingtonMaybe
Earned Income Tax Credit
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
Child Tax Credit
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
Marketplace premium tax credits
PhiladelphiaUnlikely
WashingtonUnlikely
Lifeline phone and internet
PhiladelphiaLikely eligible
WashingtonLikely eligible
SSI
PhiladelphiaUnlikely
WashingtonUnlikely
| Program | Philadelphia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Food stamps (SNAP) | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Medicaid and CHIP | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| WIC | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| School meals | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| LIHEAP | Maybe | Maybe |
| Earned Income Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Child Tax Credit | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| Marketplace premium tax credits | Unlikely | Unlikely |
| Lifeline phone and internet | Likely eligible | Likely eligible |
| SSI | Unlikely | Unlikely |
At $40,000 the status labels match. A single adult around $18,000 is where Medicaid expansion and the marketplace coverage gap usually split.
Related comparisons
From Philadelphia
The eight largest 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent gaps from Philadelphia.
- Philadelphia and San Francisco · rent gap $1,837
- Philadelphia and San Jose · rent gap $1,412
- Philadelphia and Boston · rent gap $1,148
- Philadelphia and New York · rent gap $1,111
- Philadelphia and Los Angeles · rent gap $1,104
- Philadelphia and San Diego · rent gap $963
- Philadelphia and McAllen · rent gap $843
- Philadelphia and Wichita · rent gap $817
Nearby metros
How the salary and tax math works · The reverse city order redirects to this address.