City comparison
Des Moines, IA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 9.4% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $109,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Des Moines, IA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.3% moving from Des Moines, IA to Spokane, WA ($107,301 → $106,991), while prices change by +9.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,427 in Spokane | $91,385 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
42 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
98 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Des Moines → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $62,044 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $75,068 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $89,974 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $106,991 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $126,432 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $98,800 | $90,288 (+46.5%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $130,690 | $119,431 (−5.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $86,350 | $78,911 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $111,750 | $102,123 (+29.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.