City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Palm Bay, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kennewick, WA (100.1) and Palm Bay, FL (100.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kennewick, WA goes as far as $99,900 in Palm Bay, FL.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Palm Bay, FL versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Palm Bay, FL and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.7% moving from Kennewick, WA to Palm Bay, FL ($106,437 → $107,228), while prices change by −0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Palm Bay, FL: price level 100.0 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Palm Bay, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,926 in Palm Bay | $100,074 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $49,030 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 111.7 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.2 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 88.1 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Palm Bay, FL
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
Palm Bay, FL → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Palm Bay, FL is in Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Palm Bay, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Palm Bay, FL | Real change, Kennewick → Palm Bay |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,181 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,233 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,173 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $107,228 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,711 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Palm Bay, FL | Palm Bay pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $62,510 | $62,556 (−37.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $131,760 | $131,857 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $75,860 | $75,916 (−18.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $80,900 | $80,960 (−23.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.