City comparison
Memphis, TN vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 8.9% higher than in Memphis, TN. Someone earning $100,000 in Memphis, TN would need about $108,900 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,154 a month in Memphis, TN and $1,193 in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TN and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Memphis, TN to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +8.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.7% in real buying power.
- Memphis, TN: price level 92.2 (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
| Memphis, TN | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,860 in Spokane | $91,861 in Memphis |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,154/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TN) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,890 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Memphis, TN-MS-AR and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Memphis | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 79.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Memphis, TN → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
43 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Memphis, TN
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Memphis, TN 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 Memphis, TN to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Memphis, TN | Spokane, WA | Real change, Memphis → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −7.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −7.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −7.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −7.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −7.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Memphis, TN | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Memphis dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,510 | $98,800 | $90,759 (+47.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,580 | $130,690 | $120,053 (−4.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,960 | $86,350 | $79,322 (+3.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,500 | $111,750 | $102,655 (+26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.