City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 6.6% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,600 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.1% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Spokane, WA ($121,785 → $106,991), while prices change by +6.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,557 in Spokane | $93,846 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
50 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
89 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Spokane, WA | Real change, Hagerstown → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,044 | −17.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,068 | −17.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,974 | −17.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,991 | −17.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,432 | −17.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $98,800 | $92,720 (+46.7%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $130,690 | $122,648 (−0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $86,350 | $81,036 (+7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $111,750 | $104,873 (+13.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.