City comparison
Detroit, MI vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Detroit, MI (100.3) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Detroit, MI goes as far as $100,000 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,999 a year higher in Detroit, MI than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.9% moving from Detroit, MI to Spokane, WA ($117,402 → $106,991), while prices change by +0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.9% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,048 in Spokane | $99,952 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,999/yr.
69 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Detroit, MI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$3,999/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Spokane, WA | Real change, Detroit → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $62,044 | −8.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $75,068 | −8.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $89,974 | −8.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $106,991 | −8.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $126,432 | −8.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $98,800 | $98,753 (+51.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $130,690 | $130,627 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $86,350 | $86,309 (+7.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $111,750 | $111,697 (+14.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.