City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 10.5% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $110,500 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Baton Rouge, LA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +10.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.1% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,538 in Spokane | $90,467 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
39 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Baton Rouge, LA 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 Baton Rouge, LA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Baton Rouge → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −9.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −9.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −9.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −9.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −9.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $107,380 | $106,190 | $96,067 (−10.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $130,690 | $118,231 (+16.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $86,350 | $78,118 (+6.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $111,750 | $101,097 (+24.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.