City comparison
Augusta, GA vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 8.9% higher than in Augusta, GA. Someone earning $100,000 in Augusta, GA would need about $108,900 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,114 in Augusta, GA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 18% in Augusta, GA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,567 a year higher in Augusta, GA 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 Augusta, GA to Kennewick, WA changes real buying power by −8.2%, purely from prices.
- Augusta, GA: price level 91.9 (much 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
| Augusta, GA | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.9 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,896 in Kennewick | $91,830 in Augusta |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,114/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,613 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,567 (GA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,990 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Augusta | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 70.6 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 89.5 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 98.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 91.9 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Augusta, GA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −8.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,567/yr.
43 Weak offer
Kennewick, WA → Augusta, GA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.9%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$4,567/yr.
97 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 Augusta, GA to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Augusta, GA | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Augusta → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −8.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −8.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −8.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −8.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −8.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Augusta, GA | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Augusta dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,000 | $100,380 | $92,179 (+46.3%) |
| Software Developers | $119,780 | $127,800 | $117,359 (−2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,710 | $93,280 | $85,659 (+11.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $87,760 | $106,410 | $97,717 (+11.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.