City comparison
El Paso, TX vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 11.3% higher than in El Paso, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in El Paso, TX would need about $111,300 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,013 in El Paso, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 15% in El Paso, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in TX and $0 in WA.
- Both cities are in the same federal pay area (Rest of U.S.), so a GS-13 step 1 earns $106,437 in either. A transfer from El Paso, TX to Kennewick, WA changes real buying power by −10.2%, purely from prices.
- El Paso, TX: price level 89.9 (much cheaper)
- 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
| El Paso, TX | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 89.9 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $111,308 in Kennewick | $89,841 in El Paso |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,013/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 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $39,510 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: El Paso, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: El Paso, TX and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | El Paso | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.2 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 82.6 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 89.9 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
El Paso, TX → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −10.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak offer
Kennewick, WA → El Paso, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +11.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Both metros are in the Rest of U.S. locality pay area, so GS salaries are identical. The last column shows what a transfer from El Paso, TX to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | El Paso, TX | Kennewick, WA | Real change, El Paso → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −10.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −10.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −10.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −10.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −10.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | El Paso, TX | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in El Paso dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $105,770 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $127,310 | $127,800 | $114,817 (−9.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $65,990 | $93,280 | $83,804 (+27.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $86,100 | $106,410 | $95,600 (+11.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.