City comparison
South Bend, IN vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 8.1% higher than in South Bend, IN. Someone earning $100,000 in South Bend, IN would need about $108,100 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,105 in South Bend, IN. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 17% in South Bend, IN.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,921 a year higher in South Bend, IN than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from South Bend, IN to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- South Bend, IN: price level 92.9 (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
| South Bend, IN | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,064 in Spokane | $92,538 in South Bend |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,105/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,260 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,921 (IN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,540 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | South Bend | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 94.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.7 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
South Bend, IN → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,921/yr.
45 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → South Bend, IN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$2,921/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
South Bend, IN 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 South Bend, IN to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | South Bend, IN | Spokane, WA | Real change, South Bend → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | South Bend, IN | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in South Bend dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,180 | $98,800 | $91,427 (+57.1%) |
| Software Developers | $95,500 | $130,690 | $120,938 (+26.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,940 | $86,350 | $79,906 (+2.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,540 | $111,750 | $103,411 (+10.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.