City comparison
Anchorage, AK vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Anchorage, AK are 5.1% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $105,100 in Anchorage, AK to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,243 a month in Anchorage, AK and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in AK and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −11.1% moving from Anchorage, AK to Spokane, WA ($120,348 → $106,991), while prices change by −4.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Anchorage, AK: price level 105.4 (pricier)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Anchorage, AK | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,187 in Spokane | $105,057 in Anchorage |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,243/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (AK) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $60,200 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Alaska | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Anchorage, AK HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Anchorage, AK and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Anchorage | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 109.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 111.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 103.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 105.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Anchorage, AK → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
85 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Anchorage, AK
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
54 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Anchorage, AK is in the State of Alaska pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Anchorage, AK to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Anchorage, AK | Spokane, WA | Real change, Anchorage → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,789 | $62,044 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,439 | $75,068 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $101,206 | $89,974 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,348 | $106,991 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $142,216 | $126,432 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Anchorage, AK | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Anchorage dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $121,710 | $106,190 | $111,560 (−8.3%) |
| Software Developers | $104,030 | $130,690 | $137,298 (+32.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,150 | $86,350 | $90,716 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $115,290 | $111,750 | $117,401 (+1.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.