City comparison
Seattle, WA is about 225 miles (375 km) from Spokane, WA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 275 miles, or about 4 h 45 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 Seattle, WA to Spokane, WA takes about 27 min, covering roughly 225 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.
Seattle has a population of 734,603, vs 227,922 in Spokane — about 3.2× larger by population. By land area, Seattle covers about 84 sq mi vs 69 sq mi for Spokane.
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 | Seattle | Spokane | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,945/mo | $1,060/mo | 83.5% higher in Seattle |
| Median home value | $879,900 | $286,900 | 206.7% higher in Seattle |
| Median household income | $116,068 | $63,316 | 83.3% higher in Seattle |
| Groceries index | 103.0 | 104.9 | 1.8% higher in Spokane |
| Utilities index | 92.5 | 94.3 | 1.9% higher in Spokane |
| Transportation index | 108.1 | 99.9 | 8.1% higher in Seattle |
| Healthcare index | 108.8 | 99.9 | 8.9% higher in Seattle |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Seattle, you'd need $79,281 in Spokane to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Spokane, WA is about 20.7% cheaper overall than Seattle, WA, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 58% higher in Seattle than in Spokane. If you earn $80,000 in Seattle, you'd need about $63,425 in Spokane to keep the same standard of living.