City comparison
Oklahoma City, OK vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 11.0% higher than in Oklahoma City, OK. Someone earning $100,000 in Oklahoma City, OK would need about $111,000 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 $1,017 in Oklahoma City, OK. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 16% in Oklahoma City, OK.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,955 a year higher in Oklahoma City, OK than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Oklahoma City, OK to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.4% in real buying power.
- Oklahoma City, OK: price level 90.4 (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
| Oklahoma City, OK | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.4 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,992 in Spokane | $90,096 in Oklahoma City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,017/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,226 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,955 (OK) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,230 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Oklahoma City, OK HUD Metro FMR Area and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Oklahoma City, OK and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Oklahoma City | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 73.9 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 74.1 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 90.4 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Oklahoma City, OK → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$3,955/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Oklahoma City, OK
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$3,955/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Oklahoma City, OK 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 Oklahoma City, OK to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Oklahoma City, OK | Spokane, WA | Real change, Oklahoma City → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −9.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −9.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −9.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −9.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −9.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Oklahoma City, OK | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Oklahoma City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $48,780 | $98,800 | $89,015 (+82.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,390 | $130,690 | $117,747 (−3.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,280 | $86,350 | $77,798 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,920 | $111,750 | $100,683 (+21.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.