City comparison
Spokane, WA vs St. Louis, MO
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 5.5% higher than in St. Louis, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in St. Louis, MO would need about $105,500 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 $995 in St. Louis, MO. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in St. Louis, MO.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in St. Louis, MO than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.0% moving from Spokane, WA to St. Louis, MO ($106,991 → $109,137), while prices change by −5.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +7.6% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- St. Louis, MO: price level 95.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | St. Louis, MO | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 95.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $94,760 in St. Louis | $105,530 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,417 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,763 (MO) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $49,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and St. Louis, MO-IL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and St. Louis, MO-IL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | St. Louis |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 79.0 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.0 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 69.9 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 95.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → St. Louis, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
86 Strong offer
St. Louis, MO → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
52 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; St. Louis, MO is in St. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to St. Louis, MO at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | St. Louis, MO | Real change, Spokane → St. Louis |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $63,288 | +7.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $76,573 | +7.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $91,779 | +7.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $109,137 | +7.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $128,967 | +7.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | St. Louis, MO | St. Louis pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,190 | $106,420 | $112,305 (+5.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $129,030 | $136,165 (+4.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $78,880 | $83,242 (−3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $83,180 | $87,780 (−21.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.