City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.1% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $104,100 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.1% moving from Baltimore, MD to Spokane, WA ($121,785 → $106,991), while prices change by −4.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.5% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,037 in Spokane | $104,127 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
82 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Spokane, WA | Real change, Baltimore → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $62,044 | −8.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $75,068 | −8.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,974 | −8.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,991 | −8.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $126,432 | −8.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $98,800 | $102,877 (+34.7%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $130,690 | $136,083 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $86,350 | $89,913 (+5.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $111,750 | $116,362 (+16.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.