City comparison
Atlanta, GA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Atlanta, GA (100.1) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Atlanta, GA goes as far as $100,300 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,660 a month in Atlanta, GA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 27% of take-home pay in Atlanta, GA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Atlanta, GA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.9% moving from Atlanta, GA to Spokane, WA ($112,556 → $106,991), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.2% in real buying power.
- Atlanta, GA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- 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
| Atlanta, GA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,288 in Spokane | $99,713 in Atlanta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,660/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 27% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,170 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Atlanta | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.0 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 96.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Atlanta, GA → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
68 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Atlanta, GA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 27% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Atlanta, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Atlanta, GA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Atlanta, GA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Atlanta → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,044 | −5.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,068 | −5.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,974 | −5.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,991 | −5.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,432 | −5.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Atlanta, GA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Atlanta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,570 | $98,800 | $98,516 (+28.7%) |
| Software Developers | $132,960 | $130,690 | $130,315 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,820 | $86,350 | $86,102 (+0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $111,750 | $111,429 (+10.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.