City comparison
Hickory, NC 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 13.1% higher than in Hickory, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Hickory, NC would need about $113,100 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 $908 in Hickory, NC. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 14% in Hickory, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,481 a year higher in Hickory, NC than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −2.2% moving from Hickory, NC to Kennewick, WA ($108,810 → $106,437), while prices change by +13.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.5% in real buying power.
- Hickory, NC: price level 88.5 (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
| Hickory, NC | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.5 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,102 in Kennewick | $88,416 in Hickory |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $908/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,220 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC MSA and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hickory | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 59.6 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.8 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 88.5 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hickory, NC → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,481/yr.
38 Weak offer
Kennewick, WA → Hickory, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.1%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,481/yr.
100 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Hickory, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Kennewick, WA is in Rest of U.S.. The last column shows what a transfer from Hickory, NC to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hickory, NC | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Hickory → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $61,722 | −13.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $74,678 | −13.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $89,508 | −13.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $106,437 | −13.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $125,776 | −13.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hickory, NC | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Hickory dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | $115,250 | not published | — |
| Software Developers | $122,540 | $127,800 | $112,996 (−7.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,490 | $93,280 | $82,475 (+6.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,060 | $106,410 | $94,084 (+17.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.