City comparison
Sacramento, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Sacramento, CA are 6.3% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $106,300 in Sacramento, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,832 a month in Sacramento, CA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Sacramento, CA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Sacramento, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.3% moving from Sacramento, CA to Spokane, WA ($117,984 → $106,991), while prices change by −5.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −3.6% in real buying power.
- Sacramento, CA: price level 106.7 (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
| Sacramento, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,071 in Spokane | $106,302 in Sacramento |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,832/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 30% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,750 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Sacramento--Roseville--Arden-Arcade, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Sacramento | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 130.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 151.3 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 106.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Sacramento, CA → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
88 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Sacramento, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
43 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Sacramento, CA is in the Sacramento-Roseville, CA-NV pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Sacramento, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Sacramento, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Sacramento → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,419 | $62,044 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,780 | $75,068 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $99,218 | $89,974 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,984 | $106,991 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $139,422 | $126,432 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Sacramento, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Sacramento dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $103,390 | $98,800 | $105,027 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $139,640 | $130,690 | $138,926 (−0.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,110 | $86,350 | $91,792 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $171,460 | $111,750 | $118,793 (−30.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.