City comparison
Richmond, VA 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 2.5% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $102,500 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.8% moving from Richmond, VA to Spokane, WA ($111,183 → $106,991), while prices change by +2.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (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
| Richmond, VA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,542 in Spokane | $97,521 in Richmond |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,460 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Richmond, VA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Richmond, VA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Richmond | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.1 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 97.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Richmond, VA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
61 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
77 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Richmond, VA is in the Richmond, VA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Richmond, VA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Richmond, VA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Richmond → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,475 | $62,044 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,009 | $75,068 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,499 | $89,974 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,183 | $106,991 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,385 | $126,432 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Richmond, VA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Richmond dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $126,230 | $106,190 | $103,557 (−18.0%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $130,690 | $127,450 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,220 | $86,350 | $84,209 (−0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,580 | $111,750 | $108,979 (+16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.