City comparison
Ogden, UT vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Ogden, UT (100.3) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Ogden, UT goes as far as $100,000 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,281 a month in Ogden, UT versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 20% of take-home pay in Ogden, UT and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Ogden, UT than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Ogden, UT to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by −0.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.5% in real buying power.
- Ogden, UT: price level 100.3 (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
| Ogden, UT | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,997 in Spokane | $100,003 in Ogden |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,281/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,646 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,534 (UT) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,900 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Ogden, UT MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Ogden, UT and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Ogden | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 117.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 78.8 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Ogden, UT → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
69 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Ogden, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.0%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Ogden, UT 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 Ogden, UT to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Ogden, UT | Spokane, WA | Real change, Ogden → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | +0.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | +0.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | +0.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | +0.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | +0.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Ogden, UT | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Ogden dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,910 | $98,800 | $98,803 (+54.6%) |
| Software Developers | $109,880 | $130,690 | $130,694 (+18.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,010 | $86,350 | $86,353 (+5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,840 | $111,750 | $111,753 (+36.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.