(Updated: February 19, 2021)
Originally founded in 1881 as Spokane Falls, Spokane is the 2nd largest city in Washington. The “Lilac City” is home to over 222,000 residents with a metro population of over 573,000. The economy of Spokane plays a vital role as the hub for the commercial, manufacturing, and transportation center as well as the medical, shopping, and entertainment hub of the Inland Northwest region.
Spokane’s economy has traditionally been natural resource based—heavily dependent on products produced from farms, forests, and mines. Recently, the city’s economy has diversified to encompass other industries, including the high-tech, healthcare, and biotech sectors.
When deciding on a place to settle down, it’s important to understand that where you live can impact your well-being. Spokane has many of the characteristics residents are looking for, including steady job growth and affordability.
LOCATION:
- Spokane is located on the Spokane River, along the Washington–Idaho border, and 92 miles south of the Canada-U.S. border.
- Explore Spokane Falls in the heart of downtown, stroll through dozen of beautiful parks, get behind the wheel and enjoy the sights on our City Drive, or hit our nationally recognized bike trails.
- Love the Summer? Spokane’s 76 regional lakes boast some of the nation’s best boating, camping and fishing!
- Winter Sports Enthusiast? We Have Five Ski Resorts Within 1.5-Hours of Downtown!
COMMUTING:
- The average commute time in Spokane is 21.8 minutes, 4 minutes less than the national average. That equates to about 3 hours less driving time per month!
COST OF LIVING & WAGES:
Not all wages are created equal. Moving to Spokane? Expect to take a significant cut in pay, but while your gross pay may be less, you’ll probably have a lot more money in your pocket! Why? Because our cost of living is so much lower! That is the main reason why wages in Spokane are 82% of the national average. Portland wages are 111% of the national average yet their cost of living is 25.7% higher than Spokane, plus you have to pay state income tax! Wages in Seattle are 127% more than the national average, but the cost of living is 35.6% higher than Spokane!!! Understanding cost of living is one of the most important things to consider when thinking about moving to a new city.
The next 2 graphics will compare the Cost of Living in Spokane to Seattle and Portland, as well as show wage breakdowns.
As illustrated below, a job paying $20/hr in Portland would be comparable to a job paying $14.77/hr in Spokane. A job paying $20/hr in Seattle would be comparable to a job paying $12.92/hr in Spokane (that’s not even minimum wage!) Considering the cheaper cost of living, it may make more economical sense to live in Spokane!
Home prices are a lot different too,
Seattle
2br, 1 ba 740 sq. ft. $450,000
Spokane
5 br, 4ba, 3,780 sq. ft.
Spokane is starting to sound pretty awesome right? If you are tired of wasting hours sitting in traffic, wanting affordable housing, and a slower paced lifestyle, consider all of the benefits Spokane has to offer. If you are a HVAC professional thinking about moving to Spokane and interested in joining our team click this link and apply today!