City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Spokane, WA (100.3) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Spokane, WA goes as far as $99,500 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.0% moving from Spokane, WA to Visalia, CA ($106,991 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,481 in Visalia | $100,522 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
70 Strong offer
Visalia, CA → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
67 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Spokane → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $62,033 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $75,055 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $89,959 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $106,973 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $126,410 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $98,430 | $98,944 (+0.1%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $126,170 | $126,828 (−3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $79,400 | $79,814 (−7.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $125,180 | $125,833 (+12.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.