City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Salt Lake City, UT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kennewick, WA (100.1) and Salt Lake City, UT (100.9, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kennewick, WA goes as far as $100,800 in Salt Lake City, UT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,456 a month in Salt Lake City, UT versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Salt Lake City, UT and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,534 a year higher in Salt Lake City, UT 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 Salt Lake City, UT changes real buying power by −0.8%, purely from prices.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Salt Lake City, UT: price level 100.9 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Salt Lake City, UT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,788 in Salt Lake City | $99,218 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,456/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,646 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,534 (UT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $55,240 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Salt Lake City, UT HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Salt Lake City-Murray, UT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 123.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.4 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 79.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.0 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Salt Lake City, UT
Roughly even
Buying power −0.8%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,534/yr.
66 Fair offer
Salt Lake City, UT → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,534/yr.
71 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 Kennewick, WA to Salt Lake City, UT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Salt Lake City, UT | Real change, Kennewick → Salt Lake City |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Salt Lake City, UT | Salt Lake City pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $77,920 | $77,311 (−23.0%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $129,600 | $128,586 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $82,100 | $81,458 (−12.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $85,890 | $85,218 (−19.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.