City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 11.6% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $111,600 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 $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from El Paso, TX to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +11.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.9% in real buying power.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (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
| El Paso, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,605 in Spokane | $89,602 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
El Paso, TX 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 El Paso, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, El Paso → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −9.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −9.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −9.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −9.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −9.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,800 | $98,800 | $88,527 (+38.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $130,690 | $117,101 (−8.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $86,350 | $77,371 (+17.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $111,750 | $100,130 (+16.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.