City comparison
Columbus, GA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 12.4% higher than in Columbus, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Columbus, GA would need about $112,400 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 $939 in Columbus, GA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 15% in Columbus, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Columbus, GA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −4.9% moving from Columbus, GA to Spokane, WA ($112,556 → $106,991), while prices change by +12.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.4% in real buying power.
- Columbus, GA: price level 89.3 (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
| Columbus, GA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,375 in Spokane | $88,988 in Columbus |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $939/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $43,540 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Columbus, GA-AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Columbus, GA-AL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Columbus | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 61.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.7 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 89.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Columbus, GA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Columbus, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Columbus, GA is in the Atlanta-Athens-Clarke County-Sandy Springs, GA-AL pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Columbus, GA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Columbus, GA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Columbus → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,271 | $62,044 | −15.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,972 | $75,068 | −15.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $94,654 | $89,974 | −15.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $112,556 | $106,991 | −15.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,007 | $126,432 | −15.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Columbus, GA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Columbus dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,360 | $98,800 | $87,920 (+43.3%) |
| Software Developers | $116,150 | $130,690 | $116,299 (+0.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,640 | $86,350 | $76,841 (+4.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,500 | $111,750 | $99,444 (+20.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.