City comparison
Kingsport, TN vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 16.1% higher than in Kingsport, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Kingsport, TN would need about $116,100 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 $818 in Kingsport, TN. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 12% in Kingsport, TN.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Kingsport, TN to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +16.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.4% in real buying power.
- Kingsport, TN: price level 86.4 (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
| Kingsport, TN | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 86.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $116,078 in Spokane | $86,149 in Kingsport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $818/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 12% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,240 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kingsport | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 56.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 75.9 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 86.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kingsport, TN → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Kingsport, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.1%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kingsport, TN is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Kingsport, TN to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kingsport, TN | Spokane, WA | Real change, Kingsport → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −13.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −13.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −13.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −13.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −13.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kingsport, TN | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Kingsport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,130 | $98,800 | $85,115 (+46.4%) |
| Software Developers | $115,310 | $130,690 | $112,588 (−2.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,940 | $86,350 | $74,390 (−2.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $76,730 | $111,750 | $96,271 (+25.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.