City comparison
Austin, TX vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 2.3% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,300 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Austin, TX to Spokane, WA ($109,428 → $106,991), while prices change by +2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (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
| Austin, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,325 in Spokane | $97,728 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, Austin → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $62,044 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $75,068 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,974 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,991 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $126,432 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $98,800 | $96,555 (+57.6%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $130,690 | $127,721 (−4.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $86,350 | $84,388 (+1.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $111,750 | $109,211 (+11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.