City comparison
Green Bay, WI vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 7.5% higher than in Green Bay, WI. Someone earning $100,000 in Green Bay, WI would need about $107,500 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 $931 in Green Bay, WI. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 15% in Green Bay, WI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,919 a year higher in Green Bay, WI 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 Green Bay, WI to Kennewick, WA changes real buying power by −7.0%, purely from prices.
- Green Bay, WI: price level 93.1 (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
| Green Bay, WI | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,512 in Kennewick | $93,013 in Green Bay |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $931/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,261 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,919 (WI) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,940 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Green Bay, WI HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Green Bay, WI and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Green Bay | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.7 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 90.0 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Green Bay, WI → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,919/yr.
47 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Green Bay, WI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$3,919/yr.
92 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 Green Bay, WI to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Green Bay, WI | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Green Bay → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Green Bay, WI | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Green Bay dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $60,600 | $100,380 | $93,366 (+54.1%) |
| Software Developers | $103,160 | $127,800 | $118,870 (+15.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,720 | $93,280 | $86,762 (+11.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,700 | $106,410 | $98,975 (+16.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.