City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Virginia Beach, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 2.2% higher than in Virginia Beach, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Virginia Beach, VA would need about $102,200 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,512 a month in Virginia Beach, VA versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Virginia Beach, VA and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Virginia Beach, VA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +1.5% moving from Kennewick, WA to Virginia Beach, VA ($106,437 → $108,019), while prices change by −2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +3.7% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Virginia Beach, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Virginia Beach, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,864 in Virginia Beach | $102,183 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,512/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $49,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 99.8 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 89.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Virginia Beach, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
76 Strong offer
Virginia Beach, VA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Virginia Beach, VA is in Virginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Virginia Beach, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Virginia Beach, VA | Real change, Kennewick → Virginia Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,640 | +3.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,788 | +3.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $90,838 | +3.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,019 | +3.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $127,646 | +3.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Virginia Beach, VA | Virginia Beach pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $63,380 | $64,764 (−35.5%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $129,090 | $131,908 (+3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $79,450 | $81,184 (−13.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $89,450 | $91,403 (−14.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.