City comparison
Dayton, OH vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 8.0% higher than in Dayton, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Dayton, OH would need about $108,000 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,009 in Dayton, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 16% in Dayton, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Dayton, OH than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.6% moving from Dayton, OH to Kennewick, WA ($110,401 → $106,437), while prices change by +8.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.7% in real buying power.
- Dayton, OH: price level 92.7 (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
| Dayton, OH | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 92.7 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,967 in Kennewick | $92,621 in Dayton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,009/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,980 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Dayton | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 72.7 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.4 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 92.7 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Dayton, OH → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
46 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Dayton, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
94 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Dayton, OH is in the Dayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Dayton, OH to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Dayton, OH | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Dayton → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,021 | $61,722 | −10.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,460 | $74,678 | −10.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,841 | $89,508 | −10.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,401 | $106,437 | −10.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,461 | $125,776 | −10.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Dayton, OH | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Dayton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $80,360 | $100,380 | $92,973 (+15.7%) |
| Software Developers | $106,910 | $127,800 | $118,369 (+10.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,030 | $93,280 | $86,397 (+9.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,510 | $106,410 | $98,558 (+19.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.