Advantages - Disadvantages Washington side or Idaho? (Spokane: sales, how much)

[ocean2026]

Spokane almost borders Idaho.


What are the advantages- taxes -services -prices - climate etc of living on each side of the border?

Guess I'd better ask this in Idaho too













respondents: please add further comments in this thread:

http://www.city-data.com/forum/idaho...ide-idaho.html

[David Aguilar]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

Spokane almost borders Idaho.


What are the advantages- taxes -services -prices - climate etc of living on each side of the border?

Guess I'd better ask this in Idaho too

Cross-posting probably isn't a good idea.

Sales tax, ID: 6.0%
Sales tax, Spokane County, WA: 8.7%, 8.1% outside the city of Spokane. WA sales tax doesn't include food (prepared at home).

Income tax, ID: Ranges from 1.6% to 7.8%, most people probably fall within the 7.8% bracket (above $24,737/yr).
Income tax, WA: None

Property tax: I believe ID's are lower.

Gas: ID is about ~$0.25 cheaper per gallon, but you need to go a bit away from the border to see the real benefit (prices are only marginally cheaper right on the border, i.e. Post Falls, Moscow).

Groceries: About the same. Canned soda is outrageously expensive around these parts (both sides), but milk is cheap ($1.79-$2). I believe WA has an outrageous alcohol tax.

Minimum wage, ID: $6.55/hr.
Minimum wage, WA: $8.55/hr.

From what I can gather, when comparing Spokane to CDA, CDA is cooler during the day, and gets more rain, and slightly more snow. The Idaho side is prettier IMO, but people on the WA side are nicer IMO.

I'll add more if I can think of anything else.

[jessysunshine]

I would choose the Washington side because Washington is a great state! Yes, it has its problems for sure, but the pros, to me, far outweigh the cons AND far outweigh the pros of Idaho. Spokane is a great city, and it has most anything you could want, including beauty and great outdoor recreation right there AND within short driving distance, including northern Idaho.

[ArcticPhoenix]

Idaho: State income tax
WA: No state income tax

Idaho: as stated above, 6%
WA: 8%+

WA: No food tax (except on prepared food)
ID: There is a food tax, I believe, but I'm not sure how much it is.

ID: Pricey homes in CDA, and property taxes there have skyrocketed in recent years
WA: Lower home prices in Spokane than CDA, but property taxes are still high (though I believe that Gregoire has recently placed a cap on how much property taxes can increase by).

Really though it depends on where you work. If you work in Spokane, driving from CDA will be a nightmare in the winter time. It works the other way, too. If you work in Idaho, driving from somewhere in WA will be hellish during parts of the year (say from October to March, potentially to May).

I think Spokane has, overall, slightly more to do and more recreational opportunities in some respects than Idaho.

But bottom line, it should come down to where you work... in the winter time, you want to be close to where you work. It will make things much easier on you, especially if we have another winter like the last two... but what are the chances of that happening?

[RetiredChef]

Both of the above answers are generally good, here are some more thoughts

If you own a business you will save about 6% in taxes by operating/incorporating in Idaho. They are much more business friendly. However you will save in personal taxes by living in Washington since they have no state income tax.

Idaho has fewer regulations compared to Washington State, no lemon laws for cars, less pollution standards, etc.

Spokane County has less regulations then Kootenai County, housing and fire codes are very lax in Idaho. However Steven’s county in WA is similar to Kootenai.

I don’t find commuting to be much of a problem, even in winter. I-90 is kept clear of pretty well clear of snow and ice between Spokane and CDA. But I come from LA so commutes like this are normal. Locals think anything over 10 miles away is a loooooooooong drive.

CDA has the feel of a tourist / college / trendy place. It closes up in the winter and in reality there isn’t a whole lot of thing to do outside of the lake. You will find many CDA’ers in Spokane to dine and take part in the weekly events that Spokane has to offer.