City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Salem, OR
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Salem, OR are 3.6% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $103,600 in Salem, OR to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $7,920 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +7.7% moving from Kennewick, WA to Salem, OR ($106,437 → $114,684), while prices change by +3.6%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.0% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Salem, OR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 103.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $103,567 in Salem | $96,556 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,201/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $71,260 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $7,920 (OR) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $55,310 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Salem, OR MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Salem, OR.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Salem |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 110.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.3 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 104.7 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 103.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Salem, OR
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$7,920/yr.
58 Fair offer
Salem, OR → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$7,920/yr.
80 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Salem, OR is in Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Salem, OR at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Salem, OR | Real change, Kennewick → Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $66,505 | +4.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $80,465 | +4.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $96,443 | +4.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $114,684 | +4.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $135,522 | +4.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Salem, OR | Salem pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $74,810 | $72,233 (−28.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $131,620 | $127,087 (−0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $87,480 | $84,467 (−9.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $131,750 | $127,212 (+19.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.