City comparison
Kansas City, MO vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 8.4% higher than in Kansas City, MO. Someone earning $100,000 in Kansas City, MO would need about $108,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,197 a month in Kansas City, MO and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,763 a year higher in Kansas City, MO than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −1.1% moving from Kansas City, MO to Spokane, WA ($108,173 → $106,991), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Kansas City, MO: price level 92.5 (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
| Kansas City, MO | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.5 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,432 in Spokane | $92,224 in Kansas City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,197/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,417 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,763 (MO) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $50,820 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Kansas City, MO-KS HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kansas City, MO-KS and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kansas City | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 86.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 93.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.5 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kansas City, MO → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,763/yr.
44 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Kansas City, MO
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$3,763/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kansas City, MO is in the Kansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Kansas City, MO to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kansas City, MO | Spokane, WA | Real change, Kansas City → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,729 | $62,044 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,897 | $75,068 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,968 | $89,974 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,173 | $106,991 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,829 | $126,432 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kansas City, MO | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Kansas City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,060 | $98,800 | $91,117 (+49.2%) |
| Software Developers | $124,990 | $130,690 | $120,527 (−3.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,040 | $86,350 | $79,635 (−0.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,040 | $111,750 | $103,060 (+24.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.