City comparison
Roanoke, VA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 7.2% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $107,200 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Roanoke, VA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Roanoke, VA to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +7.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.2% in real buying power.
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (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
| Roanoke, VA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,187 in Spokane | $93,295 in Roanoke |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,053/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 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,140 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Roanoke, VA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Roanoke | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 88.9 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Roanoke, VA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
48 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Roanoke, VA 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 Roanoke, VA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Roanoke, VA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Roanoke → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −6.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −6.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −6.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −6.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −6.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Roanoke, VA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Roanoke dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,010 | $98,800 | $92,176 (+48.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,110 | $130,690 | $121,927 (+0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,240 | $86,350 | $80,560 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,090 | $111,750 | $104,257 (+30.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.