City comparison
Spokane, WA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Spokane, WA are 2.5% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,500 in Spokane, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Spokane, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.0% moving from Spokane, WA to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,991 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.4% in real buying power.
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Spokane, WA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,603 in Virginia Beach | $102,456 in Spokane |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,193/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,660 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Spokane | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.1 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 91.2 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Spokane, WA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.5%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
76 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Spokane, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.4%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
61 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Spokane, WA is in the Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Spokane, WA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Spokane, WA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Spokane → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,044 | $62,640 | +3.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,068 | $75,788 | +3.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,974 | $90,838 | +3.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,991 | $108,019 | +3.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,432 | $127,646 | +3.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Spokane, WA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Spokane dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,800 | $63,380 | $64,936 (−34.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,690 | $129,090 | $132,260 (+1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $86,350 | $79,450 | $81,401 (−5.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $111,750 | $89,450 | $91,646 (−18.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.