City comparison
Boise City, ID vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 1.7% higher than in Boise City, ID. Someone earning $100,000 in Boise City, ID would need about $101,700 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,381 a month in Boise City, ID versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Boise City, ID and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,192 a year higher in Boise City, ID 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 Boise City, ID to Kennewick, WA changes real buying power by −1.7%, purely from prices.
- Boise City, ID: price level 98.4 (about average)
- 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
| Boise City, ID | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.4 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,716 in Kennewick | $98,313 in Boise City |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,381/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,988 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,192 (ID) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,100 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Boise City, ID HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Boise City, ID and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Boise City | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 105.6 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 70.7 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 99.0 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.4 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Boise City, ID → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,192/yr.
63 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Boise City, ID
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$4,192/yr.
74 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 Boise City, ID to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Boise City, ID | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Boise City → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −1.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −1.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −1.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −1.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −1.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Boise City, ID | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Boise City dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,230 | $100,380 | $98,687 (+61.2%) |
| Software Developers | $131,590 | $127,800 | $125,644 (−4.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,700 | $93,280 | $91,707 (+19.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,880 | $106,410 | $104,615 (+6.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.