City comparison
Cincinnati, OH vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 5.2% higher than in Cincinnati, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cincinnati, OH would need about $105,200 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 $1,051 in Cincinnati, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in Cincinnati, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cincinnati, OH than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Cincinnati, OH to Spokane, WA ($110,865 → $106,991), while prices change by +5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Cincinnati, OH: price level 95.4 (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
| Cincinnati, OH | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 95.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,218 in Spokane | $95,041 in Cincinnati |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,051/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,170 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cincinnati | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 91.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 95.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cincinnati, OH → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
53 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Cincinnati, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.2%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cincinnati, OH is in the Cincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Cincinnati, OH to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cincinnati, OH | Spokane, WA | Real change, Cincinnati → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,290 | $62,044 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,785 | $75,068 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,231 | $89,974 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,865 | $106,991 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,009 | $126,432 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cincinnati, OH | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Cincinnati dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,740 | $98,800 | $93,901 (+45.0%) |
| Software Developers | $121,420 | $130,690 | $124,209 (+2.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,640 | $86,350 | $82,068 (+1.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,650 | $111,750 | $106,208 (+27.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.