City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 14.8% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $114,800 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 $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Youngstown, OH than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.9% moving from Spokane, WA to Youngstown, OH ($106,991 → $111,138), while prices change by −12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.3% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,093 in Youngstown | $114,820 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.8%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Spokane → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $64,448 | +19.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $77,977 | +19.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $93,461 | +19.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $111,138 | +19.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $131,331 | +19.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $106,190 | $85,490 | $98,160 (−7.6%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $107,990 | $123,994 (−5.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $73,080 | $83,911 (−2.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $78,680 | $90,341 (−19.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.