City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Waterbury, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kennewick, WA (100.1) and Waterbury, CT (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kennewick, WA goes as far as $99,700 in Waterbury, CT.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,445 a month in Waterbury, CT versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 23% of take-home pay in Waterbury, CT and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in Waterbury, CT than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Kennewick, WA to Waterbury, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +18.2% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Waterbury, CT: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Waterbury, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,699 in Waterbury | $100,302 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,445/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 23% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $51,440 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Waterbury-Shelton, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 89.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 147.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Waterbury, CT
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
70 Fair offer
Waterbury, CT → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Waterbury, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Waterbury, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Waterbury, CT | Real change, Kennewick → Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +18.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +18.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +18.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +18.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +18.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Waterbury, CT | Waterbury pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $79,640 | $79,880 (−20.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $131,290 | $131,686 (+3.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $93,010 | $93,291 (+0.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $101,690 | $101,997 (−4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.