City comparison
Shreveport, LA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 18.4% higher than in Shreveport, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Shreveport, LA would need about $118,400 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $982 in Shreveport, LA. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 15% in Shreveport, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,614 a year higher in Shreveport, LA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Shreveport, LA to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +18.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.1% in real buying power.
- Shreveport, LA: price level 84.8 (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
| Shreveport, LA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 84.8 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,380 in Spokane | $84,474 in Shreveport |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $982/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,820 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Shreveport-Bossier City, LA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Shreveport | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 52.3 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 72.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 84.8 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Shreveport, LA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.5%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,614/yr.
38 Weak offer
Spokane, WA → Shreveport, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.4%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$2,614/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Shreveport, LA 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 Shreveport, LA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Shreveport, LA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Shreveport → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | −15.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | −15.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | −15.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | −15.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | −15.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Shreveport, LA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Shreveport dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,850 | $98,800 | $83,460 (+34.9%) |
| Software Developers | $96,680 | $130,690 | $110,399 (+14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,420 | $86,350 | $72,943 (+3.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,080 | $111,750 | $94,399 (+17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.