City comparison
College Station, TX 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 10.3% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $110,300 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in College Station, 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 College Station, TX to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +10.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,330 in Spokane | $90,637 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/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 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
39 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
College Station, 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 College Station, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, College Station → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $101,890 | $106,190 | $96,248 (−5.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $130,690 | $118,454 (+16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $86,350 | $78,265 (+9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $111,750 | $101,287 (+21.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.