City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 8.1% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $108,100 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +24.4% moving from Spokane, WA to Vallejo, CA ($106,991 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.0% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,105 in Vallejo | $92,503 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.5%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
41 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Spokane → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $77,161 | +15.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $93,358 | +15.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $111,896 | +15.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $133,060 | +15.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $157,236 | +15.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $100,790 | $93,233 (−5.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $136,930 | $126,664 (−3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $95,800 | $88,618 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $203,290 | $188,049 (+68.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.