City comparison
Cleveland, 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 6.8% higher than in Cleveland, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Cleveland, OH would need about $106,800 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 $1,058 in Cleveland, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in Cleveland, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Cleveland, OH than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Cleveland, OH to Spokane, WA ($111,138 → $106,991), while prices change by +6.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- Cleveland, OH: price level 93.9 (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
| Cleveland, OH | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,839 in Spokane | $93,599 in Cleveland |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,058/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 | $50,140 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Cleveland, OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Cleveland, OH and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Cleveland | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.4 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 96.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Cleveland, OH → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
49 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Cleveland, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.8%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Cleveland, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Cleveland, OH to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Cleveland, OH | Spokane, WA | Real change, Cleveland → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,044 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,068 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,974 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,991 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $126,432 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Cleveland, OH | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Cleveland dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,470 | $98,800 | $92,476 (+20.9%) |
| Software Developers | $111,310 | $130,690 | $122,325 (+9.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,000 | $86,350 | $80,823 (+1.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,940 | $111,750 | $104,597 (+24.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.