City comparison
Dayton, 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 8.3% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $108,300 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 $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Dayton, OH to Spokane, WA ($110,401 → $106,991), while prices change by +8.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,255 in Spokane | $92,374 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/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 | $49,980 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
45 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.3%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Spokane, WA | Real change, Dayton → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $62,044 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $75,068 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,974 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,991 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $126,432 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $98,800 | $91,266 (+13.6%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $130,690 | $120,724 (+12.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $86,350 | $79,765 (+0.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $111,750 | $103,228 (+25.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.