City comparison
Jackson, MS vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 12.7% higher than in Jackson, MS. Someone earning $100,000 in Jackson, MS would need about $112,700 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,097 in Jackson, MS. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 17% in Jackson, MS.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,268 a year higher in Jackson, MS than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Jackson, MS to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.8% in real buying power.
- Jackson, MS: price level 89.0 (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
| Jackson, MS | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.0 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,688 in Spokane | $88,741 in Jackson |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,097/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,912 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,268 (MS) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,850 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Jackson, MS HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Jackson, MS and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Jackson | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 64.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 78.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 96.1 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 89.0 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Jackson, MS → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,268/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Jackson, MS
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.7%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,268/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Jackson, MS 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 Jackson, MS to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Jackson, MS | Spokane, WA | Real change, Jackson → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −10.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −10.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −10.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −10.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −10.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Jackson, MS | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Jackson dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,240 | $98,800 | $87,676 (+74.5%) |
| Software Developers | $96,990 | $130,690 | $115,976 (+19.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,720 | $86,350 | $76,628 (+8.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,630 | $111,750 | $99,168 (+20.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.