Residential comparison · 13 facts
Seattle, WA vs Spokane, WA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Seattle needs about $67,500 in Spokane to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Spokane, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $102,500 in Seattle.
A few differences
- Spokane is lower on sales tax (9% vs 10.25%).
- Spokane is lower on groceries index (100 vs 112).
- Seattle is higher on median household income ($116,000 vs $60,000).
Seattle vs Spokane · facet by facet
| Facet | Seattle, WA | Spokane, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $850,000 | $400,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,800/mo | $1,450/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 10.25% | 9% |
| Cost of living index | 149 | 96 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 100 |
| Utilities | $210/mo | $165/mo |
| Median household income | $116,000 | $60,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Crime index | 46/100 | 58/100 |
| School rating | 7.0/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 152 days | 171 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Seattle, WA · Spokane, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Seattle cheaper than Spokane?
- Spokane has the lower day-to-day cost index (96 vs 149 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Spokane equals $85,000 in Seattle?
- A household earning $85,000 in Seattle needs about $67,500 in Spokane to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Spokane lifestyle costs about $102,500 in Seattle.