City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Springfield, MA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 4.5% higher than in Springfield, MA. Someone earning $100,000 in Springfield, MA would need about $104,500 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,382 a month in Springfield, MA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Springfield, MA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,780 a year higher in Springfield, MA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.2% moving from Spokane, WA to Springfield, MA ($106,991 → $120,094), while prices change by −4.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +17.3% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Springfield, MA: price level 96.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Springfield, MA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 96.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,730 in Springfield | $104,461 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,382/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,400 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,780 (MA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $51,930 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Springfield, MA MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Springfield, MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 75.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 97.0 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 101.2 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 96.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Springfield, MA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,780/yr.
83 Strong offer
Springfield, MA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,780/yr.
55 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Springfield, MA is in Hartford-East Hartford, CT-MA. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Springfield, MA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Springfield, MA | Real change, Spokane → Springfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $69,642 | +17.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $84,260 | +17.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $100,992 | +17.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $120,094 | +17.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $141,915 | +17.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Springfield, MA | Springfield pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $79,640 | $83,193 (−15.8%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $127,740 | $133,438 (+2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $92,010 | $96,114 (+11.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $98,410 | $102,800 (−8.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.