City comparison
Huntsville, AL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 7.8% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $107,800 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,735 a year higher in Huntsville, AL than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.5% moving from Huntsville, AL to Spokane, WA ($110,847 → $106,991), while prices change by +7.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.5% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,815 in Spokane | $92,751 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,735/yr.
46 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,735/yr.
93 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Huntsville → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $62,044 | −10.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $75,068 | −10.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $89,974 | −10.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $106,991 | −10.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $126,432 | −10.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $98,800 | $91,638 (+47.2%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $130,690 | $121,216 (−5.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $86,350 | $80,091 (+1.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $111,750 | $103,649 (+34.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.