Residential comparison · 13 facts
Spokane, WA vs Tacoma, 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 Spokane needs about $90,000 in Tacoma to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Tacoma, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $80,000 in Spokane.
A few differences
- Tacoma is lower on property tax rate (0.87% vs 0.9%).
- Spokane is lower on sales tax (9% vs 9.4%).
- Spokane is lower on groceries index (100 vs 106).
Spokane vs Tacoma · facet by facet
| Facet | Spokane, WA | Tacoma, WA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $400,000 | $479,600 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,450/mo | $1,776/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.9% | 0.87% |
| State & local income tax | 0% | 0% |
| Sales tax | 9% | 9.4% |
| Cost of living index | 96 | 117 |
| Groceries index | 100 | 106 |
| Utilities | $165/mo | $155/mo |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $85,884 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | 4.3% |
| Crime index | 58/100 | 50/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 6.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 171 days | 155 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: Spokane, WA · Tacoma, WA
Questions & answers
- Is Spokane cheaper than Tacoma?
- Spokane has the lower day-to-day cost index (96 vs 117 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Tacoma equals $85,000 in Spokane?
- A household earning $85,000 in Spokane needs about $90,000 in Tacoma to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Tacoma lifestyle costs about $80,000 in Spokane.