City comparison
Olympia, WA is about 250 miles (425 km) from Spokane, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 30 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Olympia, WA to Spokane, WA takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Spokane has a population of 227,922, vs 55,151 in Olympia — about 4.1× larger by population. By land area, Spokane covers about 69 sq mi vs 18 sq mi for Olympia.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Olympia | Spokane | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,437/mo | $1,060/mo | 35.6% higher in Olympia |
| Median home value | $409,700 | $286,900 | 42.8% higher in Olympia |
| Median household income | $73,851 | $63,316 | 16.6% higher in Olympia |
| Groceries index | 104.9 | 104.9 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 94.7 | 94.3 | ≈ equal (Olympia slightly higher) |
| Transportation index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 99.9 | 99.9 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Olympia, you'd need $91,869 in Spokane to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Spokane, WA is about 8.1% cheaper overall than Olympia, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 21% higher in Olympia than in Spokane. If you earn $80,000 in Olympia, you'd need about $73,496 in Spokane to keep the same standard of living.