City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Seattle, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Seattle, WA are 11.0% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $111,000 in Seattle, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- Both are in WA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +12.4% moving from Kennewick, WA to Seattle, WA ($106,437 → $119,630), while prices change by +11.0%. Net effect of the transfer: +1.2% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 111.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,045 in Seattle | $90,053 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $2,146/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $72,610 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Seattle-Tacoma, WA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Seattle |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 151.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 104.0 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 92.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 106.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 111.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Seattle, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
26 Weak offer
Seattle, WA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Seattle, WA is in Seattle-Tacoma, WA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Seattle, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Seattle, WA | Real change, Kennewick → Seattle |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,373 | +1.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $83,935 | +1.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $100,602 | +1.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $119,630 | +1.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $141,367 | +1.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Seattle, WA | Seattle pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $102,920 | $92,683 (−7.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $167,280 | $150,641 (+17.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $99,370 | $89,486 (−4.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $128,260 | $115,502 (+8.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.