City comparison
Port St. Lucie, FL vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Port St. Lucie, FL (100.2) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Port St. Lucie, FL goes as far as $100,100 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,467 a month in Port St. Lucie, FL versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Port St. Lucie, FL and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in FL and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.6% moving from Port St. Lucie, FL to Spokane, WA ($113,356 → $106,991), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −5.7% in real buying power.
- Port St. Lucie, FL: price level 100.2 (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
| Port St. Lucie, FL | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.2 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,118 in Spokane | $99,882 in Port St. Lucie |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,467/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (FL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,490 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Port St. Lucie, FL MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Port St. Lucie, FL and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Port St. Lucie | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 113.6 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.0 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.2 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Port St. Lucie, FL → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Port St. Lucie, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Port St. Lucie, FL is in the Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Port St. Lucie, FL to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Spokane, WA | Real change, Port St. Lucie → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $65,735 | $62,044 | −5.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $79,533 | $75,068 | −5.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $95,326 | $89,974 | −5.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $113,356 | $106,991 | −5.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $133,953 | $126,432 | −5.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Port St. Lucie, FL | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Port St. Lucie dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $53,610 | $98,800 | $98,684 (+84.1%) |
| Software Developers | $128,510 | $130,690 | $130,536 (+1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,430 | $86,350 | $86,248 (+8.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,090 | $111,750 | $111,619 (+36.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.