City comparison
Austin, TX vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 2.1% higher than in Austin, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Austin, TX would need about $102,100 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,562 a month in Austin, TX versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Austin, TX and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.7% moving from Austin, TX to Kennewick, WA ($109,428 → $106,437), while prices change by +2.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.7% in real buying power.
- Austin, TX: price level 98.1 (about average)
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Austin, TX | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.1 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,053 in Kennewick | $97,989 in Austin |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,562/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,950 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Austin | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 120.4 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 82.0 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 98.1 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Austin, TX → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.0%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
62 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Austin, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.1%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
75 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Austin, TX is in the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Austin, TX to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Austin, TX | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Austin → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,457 | $61,722 | −4.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,777 | $74,678 | −4.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $92,023 | $89,508 | −4.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $109,428 | $106,437 | −4.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $129,311 | $125,776 | −4.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Austin, TX | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Austin dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,270 | $100,380 | $98,361 (+60.5%) |
| Software Developers | $134,120 | $127,800 | $125,229 (−6.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,120 | $93,280 | $91,404 (+10.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,890 | $106,410 | $104,270 (+6.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.