City comparison
Asheville, NC vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 3.7% higher than in Asheville, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Asheville, NC would need about $103,700 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,429 a month in Asheville, NC versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Asheville, NC and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Asheville, NC than in Kennewick, WA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from Asheville, NC to Kennewick, WA changes real buying power by −3.6%, purely from prices.
- Asheville, NC: price level 96.5 (cheaper)
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Asheville, NC | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 96.5 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,702 in Kennewick | $96,430 in Asheville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,429/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 23% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,870 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Asheville, NC MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Asheville, NC and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Asheville | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 93.4 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 88.6 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 96.5 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Asheville, NC → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
58 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Asheville, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.7%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from Asheville, NC to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Asheville, NC | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Asheville → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −3.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −3.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −3.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −3.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −3.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Asheville, NC | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Asheville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $50,080 | $100,380 | $96,796 (+93.3%) |
| Software Developers | $134,350 | $127,800 | $123,237 (−8.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,400 | $93,280 | $89,950 (+11.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,590 | $106,410 | $102,611 (+25.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.