City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Tampa, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Spokane, WA (100.3) and Tampa, FL (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Spokane, WA goes as far as $100,500 in Tampa, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,696 a month in Tampa, FL versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Tampa, FL and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Spokane, WA to Tampa, FL ($106,991 → $106,437), while prices change by +0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.1% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Tampa, FL: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Tampa, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,542 in Tampa | $99,461 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,696/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 26% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $48,940 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Tampa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 125.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 95.5 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 88.5 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Tampa, FL
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
66 Fair offer
Tampa, FL → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Tampa, FL is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Tampa, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Tampa, FL | Real change, Spokane → Tampa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $61,722 | −1.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $74,678 | −1.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $89,508 | −1.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $106,437 | −1.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $125,776 | −1.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Tampa, FL | Tampa pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $60,120 | $59,796 (−39.5%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $130,450 | $129,747 (−0.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $78,990 | $78,564 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $85,470 | $85,009 (−23.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.