City comparison
Chicago, IL vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Chicago, IL are 3.5% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $103,500 in Chicago, IL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,581 a month in Chicago, IL versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 26% of take-home pay in Chicago, IL and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,805 a year higher in Chicago, IL than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.5% moving from Chicago, IL to Kennewick, WA ($118,984 → $106,437), while prices change by −3.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.4% in real buying power.
- Chicago, IL: price level 103.6 (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
| Chicago, IL | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $96,606 in Kennewick | $103,513 in Chicago |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,581/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,375 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,805 (IL) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 26% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $54,720 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Chicago | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 112.0 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 107.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 83.6 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 100.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Chicago, IL → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +3.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,805/yr.
80 Strong offer
Kennewick, WA → Chicago, IL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −3.4%; rent takes 26% of take-home; state tax +$4,805/yr.
57 Fair offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Chicago, IL is in the Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Chicago, IL to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Chicago, IL | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Chicago → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,999 | $61,722 | −7.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,482 | $74,678 | −7.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,059 | $89,508 | −7.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $118,984 | $106,437 | −7.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $140,604 | $125,776 | −7.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Chicago, IL | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Chicago dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $125,310 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $134,380 | $127,800 | $132,290 (−1.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $82,360 | $93,280 | $96,557 (+17.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $100,490 | $106,410 | $110,148 (+9.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.