($1,676) Movers From Ann Arbor, MI to Spokane, WA

What to know before moving from Ann Arbor to Spokane

Moving from Ann Arbor to Spokane comes with exciting new opportunities — but also higher living costs. Since Spokane is generally more expensive than Ann Arbor, it’s important to plan ahead and budget carefully for the change.

Check out how the two cities compare so you know what to expect before you relocate:

• Rent prices in Spokane are 36% lower than in Ann Arbor, which means you’ll have more money in your pocket each month.
• In terms of homeownership, you’ll be able to get more for your money in Spokane.
  Home prices in Spokane are 20.9% lower than in Ann Arbor.
• Income in Spokane is 9.2% lower than in Ann Arbor, so you could earn less for doing the same job. The top employers in Spokane include Key Tronic, URM Stores, and Empire Health Centers Group.
• Be sure to budget for higher bills in Spokane, since the cost of living for a single person in Spokane is 17.5% higher than in Ann Arbor. This includes routine expenses like utilities, groceries, clothing, and transportation.
• If you’re moving your family to Spokane, keep in mind that your living expenses could increase. The cost of living for a family in Spokane is 17.3% higher than in Ann Arbor.
• The unemployment rate in Spokane is 88.57% higher than in Ann Arbor.
• You’ll spend more on retail and restaurants in Spokane, since the city’s sales taxes in Spokane are 50.00% higher than in Ann Arbor.
• One perk of moving to Spokane is paying less in state income taxes, which are 100.00% lower than in Ann Arbor.

To put this in perspective, you would need around $3,523.90 in Spokane to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with $3,000.00 in Ann Arbor.

How life is different in Ann Arbor vs. Spokane

• The population of Spokane is about 379% greater than Ann Arbor, so you may find more to see and do in your new surroundings. Of course, with more people can also come increased competition for jobs and housing.
• Getting around Spokane without a car might be more difficult than in Ann Arbor. Spokane has a public transportation score of 6 out of 10, whereas Ann Arbor is ranked 7. Ratings are based on a city’s transit connectivity, service frequency, and accessibility to key destinations like jobs and grocery stores.
• You’ll find Spokane to be about as walkable as Ann Arbor. The two cities have similar walkability scores of 49 and 52 respectively out of 100 in terms of how close housing is to businesses, recreational facilities, and jobs.
• You probably won’t see as many cycling lanes or off-road trails in Spokane, which is ranked as less bike-friendly than Ann Arbor. While Ann Arbor has a bike-friendliness score of 71 out of 100, Spokane earned a 52. Scores are based on factors like whether a city accommodates cyclists on major roadways, how often people bike to work, and how many steep hills it has.
• Spokane has a lower crime rate than Ann Arbor based on scores of 3.0 and Ann Arbor's 31.0, respectively. The crime index shows how safe a city is perceived to be. So, a lower score generally means less crime.
• You may want to exercise more caution as you’re getting used to your new surroundings in Spokane. With a crime index of 44.94, Spokane ranks lower in overall safety than Ann Arbor, whose index is Ann Arbor's 79.18. The safety index measures how safe people in a city feel about walking alone, both during the day and at night, as well as data on muggings, theft, vandalism, and other instances of petty crime.
• You can breathe easy knowing that Spokane has better air quality than in Ann Arbor. Spokane has Good air quality, compared to moderate in Ann Arbor. Ratings of good to moderate mean very low risk of health concerns, although people with conditions like asthma or allergies could be affected. Beyond the moderate rating, health concerns increase for some or all residents.