City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Tulsa, OK
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 12.5% higher than in Tulsa, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Tulsa, OK would need about $112,500 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 $987 in Tulsa, OK. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in Tulsa, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Tulsa, OK than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Spokane, WA to Tulsa, OK ($106,991 → $106,437), while prices change by −11.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.9% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Tulsa, OK: price level 89.2 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Tulsa, OK | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 89.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $88,906 in Tulsa | $112,478 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $987/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,226 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,955 (OK) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 16% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $46,670 |
| 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 Tulsa, OK HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Tulsa, OK.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Tulsa |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 68.2 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 73.9 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 95.5 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 89.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Tulsa, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
100 Strong offer
Tulsa, OK → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Tulsa, OK is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Tulsa, OK at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Tulsa, OK | Real change, Spokane → Tulsa |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $61,722 | +11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $74,678 | +11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $89,508 | +11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $106,437 | +11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $125,776 | +11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Tulsa, OK | Tulsa pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $48,220 | $54,237 (−45.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $108,730 | $122,297 (−6.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $81,320 | $91,467 (+5.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $84,790 | $95,370 (−14.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.