City comparison
Rochester, NY 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 3.4% higher than in Rochester, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Rochester, NY would need about $103,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,256 a month in Rochester, NY versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Rochester, NY and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Rochester, NY than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.2% moving from Rochester, NY to Spokane, WA ($107,182 → $106,991), while prices change by +3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.5% in real buying power.
- Rochester, NY: price level 97.0 (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
| Rochester, NY | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,412 in Spokane | $96,700 in Rochester |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,256/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,320 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,860 (NY) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,210 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Rochester, NY MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Rochester, NY and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Rochester | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 87.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 99.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 133.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 97.8 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 97.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Rochester, NY → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
58 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Rochester, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
79 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Rochester, NY is in the Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Rochester, NY to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Rochester, NY | Spokane, WA | Real change, Rochester → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,155 | $62,044 | −3.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,202 | $75,068 | −3.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,135 | $89,974 | −3.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,182 | $106,991 | −3.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,657 | $126,432 | −3.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Rochester, NY | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Rochester dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,860 | $106,190 | $102,686 (−3.0%) |
| Software Developers | $122,770 | $130,690 | $126,378 (+2.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,890 | $86,350 | $83,501 (+3.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,570 | $111,750 | $108,063 (+24.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.