City comparison
Madison, WI vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 3.1% higher than in Madison, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Madison, WI would need about $103,100 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,482 a month in Madison, WI versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Madison, WI and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Madison, WI than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Madison, WI to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +3.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −2.5% in real buying power.
- Madison, WI: price level 97.3 (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
| Madison, WI | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,144 in Spokane | $96,952 in Madison |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,482/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $58,080 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Madison, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Madison, WI and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Madison | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Madison, WI → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
59 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Madison, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Madison, WI 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 Madison, WI to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Madison, WI | Spokane, WA | Real change, Madison → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −2.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −2.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −2.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −2.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −2.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Madison, WI | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Madison dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $104,110 | $106,190 | $102,953 (−1.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,630 | $130,690 | $126,706 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $81,130 | $86,350 | $83,718 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,190 | $111,750 | $108,343 (+7.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.