City comparison
Hagerstown, MD vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 6.3% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $106,300 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,386 a year higher in Hagerstown, MD than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −12.6% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Kennewick, WA ($121,785 → $106,437), while prices change by +6.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −17.8% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,274 in Kennewick | $94,097 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/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 | 15% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.9%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,386/yr.
50 Fair offer
Kennewick, WA → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.3%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax +$4,386/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, 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 Hagerstown, MD to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Hagerstown → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $61,722 | −17.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $74,678 | −17.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $89,508 | −17.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $106,437 | −17.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $125,776 | −17.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $100,380 | $94,454 (+49.5%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $127,800 | $120,256 (−2.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $93,280 | $87,773 (+16.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $106,410 | $100,128 (+7.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.