City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Baltimore, MD are 4.4% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $104,400 in Baltimore, MD to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,511 a month in Baltimore, MD versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Baltimore, MD and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Baltimore, MD than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Baltimore, MD to Kennewick, WA ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by −4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −8.8% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- 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
| Baltimore, MD | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $95,781 in Kennewick | $104,405 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
83 Strong offer
Kennewick, WA → Baltimore, MD
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
56 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Baltimore → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −8.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −8.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −8.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −8.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −8.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $100,380 | $104,801 (+37.2%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $127,800 | $133,429 (−3.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $93,280 | $97,389 (+14.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $106,410 | $111,097 (+11.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.