City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 2.0% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $102,000 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Boise City, ID to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +2.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −1.4% in real buying power.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,987 in Spokane | $98,052 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
63 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +2.0%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Boise City, ID is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Boise City, ID to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Spokane, WA | Real change, Boise City → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −1.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −1.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −1.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −1.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −1.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $98,800 | $96,875 (+58.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $130,690 | $128,144 (−2.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $86,350 | $84,668 (+10.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $111,750 | $109,573 (+11.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.