City comparison
Charlotte, NC vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 3.1% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $103,100 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,538 a month in Charlotte, NC versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Charlotte, NC and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Charlotte, NC than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.7% moving from Charlotte, NC to Spokane, WA ($108,810 → $106,991), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.6% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,080 in Spokane | $97,012 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
59 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
78 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Spokane, WA | Real change, Charlotte → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $62,044 | −4.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $75,068 | −4.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,974 | −4.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,991 | −4.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $126,432 | −4.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $98,800 | $95,848 (+63.3%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $130,690 | $126,785 (−6.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $86,350 | $83,770 (−9.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $111,750 | $108,411 (+19.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.