City comparison
Hartford, CT vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Hartford, CT are 2.4% higher than in Spokane, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Spokane, WA would need about $102,400 in Hartford, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,477 a month in Hartford, CT versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Hartford, CT and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Hartford, CT than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.9% moving from Hartford, CT to Spokane, WA ($120,094 → $106,991), while prices change by −2.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Hartford, CT: price level 102.7 (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
| Hartford, CT | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.7 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,664 in Spokane | $102,392 in Hartford |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,477/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,255 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,925 (CT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,940 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hartford | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 97.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 144.9 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 102.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 102.7 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hartford, CT → Spokane, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
76 Strong offer
Spokane, WA → Hartford, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hartford, CT is in the Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Hartford, CT to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hartford, CT | Spokane, WA | Real change, Hartford → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,642 | $62,044 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $84,260 | $75,068 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,992 | $89,974 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $120,094 | $106,991 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,915 | $126,432 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hartford, CT | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Hartford dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $79,800 | $98,800 | $101,163 (+26.8%) |
| Software Developers | $132,520 | $130,690 | $133,816 (+1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $95,940 | $86,350 | $88,415 (−7.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $101,470 | $111,750 | $114,423 (+12.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.