City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Syracuse, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 4.8% higher than in Syracuse, NY. Someone earning $100,000 in Syracuse, NY would need about $104,800 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,193 a month in Spokane, WA versus $1,123 in Syracuse, NY. On $100,000, that's 18% of take-home pay in Spokane, WA and 18% in Syracuse, NY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in Syracuse, NY than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.5% moving from Spokane, WA to Syracuse, NY ($106,991 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.3% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Syracuse, NY: price level 95.7 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Syracuse, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 95.7 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,412 in Syracuse | $104,809 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,123/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $52,990 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Syracuse, NY MSA. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Syracuse, NY.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Syracuse |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 80.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 99.7 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 133.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 97.8 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 95.7 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Syracuse, NY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.8%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
84 Strong offer
Syracuse, NY → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
54 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Syracuse, NY is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Syracuse, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Syracuse, NY | Real change, Spokane → Syracuse |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $61,722 | +4.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $74,678 | +4.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $89,508 | +4.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $106,437 | +4.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $125,776 | +4.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Syracuse, NY | Syracuse pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $78,560 | $82,338 (−16.7%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $129,100 | $135,308 (+3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $82,230 | $86,184 (−0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $86,960 | $91,142 (−18.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.