Cost of Living in Spokane, Washington
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Spokane, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 230,783
- Median household income
- $78,583
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 100.3
- Unemployment rate
- 4.8%
Is Spokane a good place to live?
Spokane is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 169 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Spokane keeps $13,408 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of livingAbout the same as the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,145 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Spokane
Prices in the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA area run about the same as the US average. Utilities is the biggest difference, at 9% below the US average.
- Housing3% below the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)5% above the US average
- Utilities9% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)1% below the US average
- All itemsAbout the same as the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,145 | $13,740 |
| Food | $518 | $6,216 |
| Transportation | $410 | $4,920 |
| Healthcare | $350 | $4,200 |
| Utilities | $238 | $2,856 |
| Total before taxes | $2,661 | $31,932 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Spokane | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,086 | $1,116 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,145 | $1,173 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,460 | $1,494 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,997 | $2,047 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,428 | $2,497 |
Living in Spokane
How Spokane compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Spokane | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,583 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $379,300 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,341 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 40.4% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 12.7% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 35.8% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 37 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 20.3 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 10.9% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 3% | 3.7% |
Home internet
11 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Spokane, led by Xfinity, Wind Wireless, Wired or Wireless Inc, Verizon. Fiber reaches 61.2% of homes and 91.9% can get gigabit speeds.
Pros and cons of living in Spokane
Pros
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 20.3 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $13,408 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 169 of 178 large cities.
- No state income tax. Washington doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Fast home internet. 91.9% of homes can get gigabit speeds (FCC).
Cons
Nothing stands out against the US average in the data we track.
What your job keeps in Spokane
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $54,660
- Federal income tax
- −$4,379
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,940
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$13,740
- Everyday costs
- −$18,193
a year, or $1,117 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Software engineer | $130,690 | $66,846 |
| Registered nurse | $111,750 | $53,963 |
| Project manager | $98,840 | $45,060 |
| Teacher | $98,765 | $45,008 |
| Accountant | $86,350 | $36,446 |
| Social worker | $69,353 | $24,724 |
| Truck driver | $62,980 | $19,977 |
| Carpenter | $61,900 | $19,125 |
| Medical assistant | $51,720 | $11,087 |
| Nursing assistant | $47,240 | $7,549 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Spokane on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $13,550
- Civil engineer $46,212
- Data scientist $57,756
- Dental assistant $10,502
- Dental hygienist $57,370
- Dentist $118,575
- Diesel mechanic $21,462
- Electrician $31,950
- Financial analyst $32,523
- Firefighter $34,350
- HVAC technician $19,867
- Lawyer $62,287
- Licensed practical nurse $31,343
- Lineman $64,704
- Mechanical engineer $44,943
- Nurse practitioner $74,413
- Occupational therapist $45,363
- Paralegal $17,261
- Paramedic $31,653
- Pharmacist $83,501
- Pharmacy technician $15,911
- Physical therapist $45,646
- Physician assistant $78,150
- Plumber $27,102
- Police officer $42,867
- Radiologic technologist $34,171
- Respiratory therapist $46,639
- Speech-language pathologist $46,205
- Veterinarian $80,996
- Welder $17,111
Compare Spokane with other cities
Compare Spokane with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Spokane
10 licensed interstate movers are based in Spokane, and 5 more elsewhere in the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Spokane, WA a good place to live?
Spokane is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 169 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $54,660 and keeps $13,408 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Spokane?
Prices in the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA area are about the same as the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,145 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,516 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Spokane?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $37,700 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA area earns $54,660.
What is the average rent in Spokane?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,086 for a studio, $1,145 for a 1-bedroom and $1,460 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Spokane at $1,341 a month (2024).
Does Spokane have a state or city income tax?
Washington has no state income tax on wages. Spokane has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Spokane?
11 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Spokane, led by Xfinity, Wind Wireless, Wired or Wireless Inc, Verizon. 61.2% of homes can get fiber and 91.9% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate