City comparison
Phoenix, AZ vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Phoenix, AZ are 3.0% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $103,000 in Phoenix, AZ to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,583 a month in Phoenix, AZ versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in Phoenix, AZ and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,291 a year higher in Phoenix, AZ than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.9% moving from Phoenix, AZ to Spokane, WA ($111,338 → $106,991), while prices change by −2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Phoenix, AZ: price level 103.3 (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
| Phoenix, AZ | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,125 in Spokane | $102,960 in Phoenix |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,583/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,889 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,291 (AZ) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,380 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Phoenix-Mesa, AZ | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Phoenix | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 121.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 95.0 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 93.3 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 104.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 103.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Phoenix, AZ → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,291/yr.
78 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Phoenix, AZ
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$2,291/yr.
60 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Phoenix, AZ is in the Phoenix-Mesa, AZ pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Phoenix, AZ to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Phoenix, AZ | Spokane, WA | Real change, Phoenix → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,564 | $62,044 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,117 | $75,068 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,629 | $89,974 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,338 | $106,991 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,568 | $126,432 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Phoenix, AZ | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Phoenix dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,180 | $98,800 | $101,724 (+71.9%) |
| Software Developers | $131,750 | $130,690 | $134,558 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,820 | $86,350 | $88,906 (+10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,830 | $111,750 | $115,058 (+14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.