City comparison
Provo, UT vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 2.2% higher than in Provo, UT. Someone earning $100,000 in Provo, UT would need about $102,200 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,265 a month in Provo, UT versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Provo, UT and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Provo, UT than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Provo, UT to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.6% in real buying power.
- Provo, UT: price level 98.2 (about average)
- 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
| Provo, UT | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,152 in Spokane | $97,893 in Provo |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,265/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,010 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Provo | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 78.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Provo, UT → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
62 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Provo, UT
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Provo, UT 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 Provo, UT to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Provo, UT | Spokane, WA | Real change, Provo → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −1.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −1.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −1.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −1.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −1.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Provo, UT | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Provo dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,930 | $98,800 | $96,719 (+53.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,210 | $130,690 | $127,937 (−2.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,700 | $86,350 | $84,531 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,780 | $111,750 | $109,396 (+33.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.