FYI Know any federal employees? Wanna know how much they make?

good point. I have no idea what the neighborhoods are like there, I just picked a random one

http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Maryland/Savage/Foxborough-Estates/10453/

highest average price according to that site, is that a better one? housing is the biggest cost of living increase between the two cities, few other things are cheap enough to make up the difference and it ends up being about 35%. I think the calculator said a 27k/yr salary here would have to be 35k/yr in DC

Savage is an okay place to live but your commute to DC would take you roughly 2 hours each way every day. And then you have to add parking to your list of expenses.