City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 9.2% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $109,200 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Augusta, GA to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +9.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.9% in real buying power.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Augusta, GA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,187 in Spokane | $91,586 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/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 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
42 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
97 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Augusta, GA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Augusta, GA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Augusta → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −7.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −7.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −7.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −7.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −7.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $98,800 | $90,487 (+43.6%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $130,690 | $119,694 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $86,350 | $79,085 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $111,750 | $102,347 (+16.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.