City comparison
Minneapolis, MN vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Minneapolis, MN are 4.5% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $104,500 in Minneapolis, MN to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,405 a month in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Minneapolis, MN and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,277 a year higher in Minneapolis, MN than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.8% moving from Minneapolis, MN to Spokane, WA ($116,038 → $106,991), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.7% in real buying power.
- Minneapolis, MN: price level 104.8 (pricier)
- 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
| Minneapolis, MN | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,730 in Spokane | $104,461 in Minneapolis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,405/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,903 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,277 (MN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,320 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Minneapolis | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 111.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 103.1 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 93.5 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 104.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 104.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Minneapolis, MN → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,277/yr.
83 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Minneapolis, MN
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$5,277/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Minneapolis, MN is in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Minneapolis, MN to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Minneapolis, MN | Spokane, WA | Real change, Minneapolis → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $67,290 | $62,044 | −3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $81,415 | $75,068 | −3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $97,582 | $89,974 | −3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $116,038 | $106,991 | −3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $137,123 | $126,432 | −3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Minneapolis, MN | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Minneapolis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,730 | $98,800 | $103,207 (+29.4%) |
| Software Developers | $130,920 | $130,690 | $136,520 (+4.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,500 | $86,350 | $90,202 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $103,040 | $111,750 | $116,735 (+13.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.