City comparison
Spokane, WA vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 4.5% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $104,500 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,070 a year higher in York, PA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.8% moving from Spokane, WA to York, PA ($106,991 → $121,785), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.0% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,669 in York | $104,527 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,070/yr.
83 Strong offer
York, PA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,070/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | York, PA | Real change, Spokane → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $70,623 | +19.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $85,447 | +19.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $102,415 | +19.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $121,785 | +19.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $143,913 | +19.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | York, PA | York pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $79,730 | $83,339 (−15.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $114,600 | $119,788 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $75,160 | $78,563 (−9.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $96,210 | $100,566 (−10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.