City comparison
Fresno, CA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Fresno, CA are 1.8% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $101,800 in Fresno, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,355 a month in Fresno, CA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Fresno, CA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Fresno, CA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.0% moving from Fresno, CA to Spokane, WA ($106,973 → $106,991), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.8% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (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
| Fresno, CA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,226 in Spokane | $101,806 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
74 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Fresno, CA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Fresno → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $62,044 | +1.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $75,068 | +1.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $89,974 | +1.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $106,991 | +1.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $126,432 | +1.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $98,800 | $100,584 (+27.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $130,690 | $133,050 (+3.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $86,350 | $87,909 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $111,750 | $113,768 (−9.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.