City comparison
Houston, 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 1.7% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $101,700 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,323 a month in Houston, TX versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Houston, TX and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- 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 −12.8% moving from Houston, TX to Spokane, WA ($122,749 → $106,991), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.3% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,741 in Spokane | $98,289 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/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 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
63 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Houston, TX
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
74 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Spokane, WA | Real change, Houston → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $62,044 | −14.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $75,068 | −14.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $89,974 | −14.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $106,991 | −14.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $126,432 | −14.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $98,800 | $97,109 (+50.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $130,690 | $128,454 (−0.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $86,350 | $84,872 (−0.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $111,750 | $109,838 (+10.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.