City comparison
Harrisburg, PA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 1.7% higher than in Harrisburg, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Harrisburg, PA would need about $101,700 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,212 a month in Harrisburg, PA and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in Harrisburg, PA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.5% moving from Harrisburg, PA to Spokane, WA ($108,592 → $106,991), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.1% in real buying power.
- Harrisburg, PA: price level 98.7 (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
| Harrisburg, PA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,719 in Spokane | $98,310 in Harrisburg |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,212/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,610 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Harrisburg | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 96.3 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 108.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Harrisburg, PA → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Harrisburg, PA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Harrisburg, PA is in the Harrisburg-Lebanon, PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Harrisburg, PA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Harrisburg, PA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Harrisburg → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,972 | $62,044 | −3.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,190 | $75,068 | −3.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,320 | $89,974 | −3.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,592 | $106,991 | −3.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,323 | $126,432 | −3.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Harrisburg, PA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Harrisburg dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $77,160 | $98,800 | $97,130 (+25.9%) |
| Software Developers | $109,470 | $130,690 | $128,481 (+17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,510 | $86,350 | $84,891 (+11.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $96,770 | $111,750 | $109,861 (+13.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.