City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Louisville, KY
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 Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,382 a year higher in Louisville, KY 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 Kennewick, WA to Louisville, KY changes real buying power by +7.5%, purely from prices.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Louisville, KY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 93.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $93,001 in Louisville | $107,526 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,047/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,798 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,382 (KY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $48,370 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Louisville |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 75.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 93.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax +$3,382/yr.
92 Strong offer
Louisville, KY → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,382/yr.
47 Fair 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 Kennewick, WA to Louisville, KY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Louisville, KY | Real change, Kennewick → Louisville |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +7.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +7.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +7.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +7.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +7.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Louisville, KY | Louisville pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $61,610 | $66,247 (−34.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $110,270 | $118,569 (−7.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $76,320 | $82,064 (−12.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $84,850 | $91,236 (−14.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.