City comparison
Chattanooga, TN vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 9.7% higher than in Chattanooga, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Chattanooga, TN would need about $109,700 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,263 a month in Chattanooga, TN versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Chattanooga, TN and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Chattanooga, TN to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +9.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.4% in real buying power.
- Chattanooga, TN: price level 91.5 (much 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
| Chattanooga, TN | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,711 in Spokane | $91,149 in Chattanooga |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,263/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,700 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Chattanooga, TN-GA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chattanooga | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.0 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 74.2 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chattanooga, TN → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
41 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Chattanooga, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chattanooga, TN | Spokane, WA | Real change, Chattanooga → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −8.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −8.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −8.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −8.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −8.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chattanooga, TN | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Chattanooga dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,830 | $98,800 | $90,055 (+50.5%) |
| Software Developers | $106,750 | $130,690 | $119,122 (+11.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,680 | $86,350 | $78,707 (+2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $79,770 | $111,750 | $101,859 (+27.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.