City comparison
Akron, OH vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 7.5% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $107,500 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Akron, OH than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.7% moving from Akron, OH to Spokane, WA ($111,138 → $106,991), while prices change by +7.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (cheaper)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Akron, OH | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,471 in Spokane | $93,048 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
47 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
92 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Spokane, WA | Real change, Akron → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $62,044 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $75,068 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $89,974 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $106,991 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $126,432 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $98,800 | $91,931 (+17.0%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $130,690 | $121,605 (+15.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $86,350 | $80,347 (+2.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $111,750 | $103,981 (+28.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.