City comparison
Lincoln, NE vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 9.6% higher than in Lincoln, NE. Someone earning $100,000 in Lincoln, NE would need about $109,600 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $926 in Lincoln, NE. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 15% in Lincoln, NE.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,670 a year higher in Lincoln, NE than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Lincoln, NE to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +9.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.3% in real buying power.
- Lincoln, NE: price level 91.6 (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
| Lincoln, NE | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $109,571 in Spokane | $91,265 in Lincoln |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $926/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,510 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,670 (NE) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,800 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Lincoln, NE HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Lincoln, NE and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lincoln | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.2 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 94.1 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 76.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 93.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lincoln, NE → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.7%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,670/yr.
41 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Lincoln, NE
Same pay goes further
Buying power +9.6%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,670/yr.
99 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lincoln, NE 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 Lincoln, NE to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lincoln, NE | Spokane, WA | Real change, Lincoln → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −8.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −8.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −8.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −8.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −8.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lincoln, NE | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Lincoln dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,940 | $98,800 | $90,170 (+45.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,690 | $130,690 | $119,275 (+17.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,170 | $86,350 | $78,808 (+20.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,530 | $111,750 | $101,989 (+16.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.