City comparison
Brownsville, 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 16.7% higher than in Brownsville, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Brownsville, TX would need about $116,700 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $866 in Brownsville, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 13% in Brownsville, TX.
- 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 +0.5% moving from Brownsville, TX to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +16.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.9% in real buying power.
- Brownsville, TX: price level 86.0 (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
| Brownsville, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,715 in Spokane | $85,679 in Brownsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $866/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 | 13% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $36,490 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Brownsville-Harlingen, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Brownsville | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 57.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 81.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 86.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Brownsville, TX → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Brownsville, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.7%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Brownsville, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, Brownsville → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −13.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −13.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −13.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −13.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −13.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Brownsville, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Brownsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,350 | $98,800 | $84,650 (+33.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,990 | $130,690 | $111,973 (+4.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $66,440 | $86,350 | $73,983 (+11.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,090 | $111,750 | $95,746 (+18.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.