City comparison
Huntington, WV vs Kennewick, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 13.2% higher than in Huntington, WV. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntington, WV would need about $113,200 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 $853 in Huntington, WV. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 14% in Huntington, WV.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,885 a year higher in Huntington, WV than in Kennewick, 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 Huntington, WV to Kennewick, WA changes real buying power by −11.6%, purely from prices.
- Huntington, WV: price level 88.4 (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
| Huntington, WV | Kennewick, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 88.4 | 100.1 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,183 in Kennewick | $88,352 in Huntington |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $853/mo | $1,268/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,295 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,885 (WV) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 19% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,600 | $57,290 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH HUD Metro FMR Area and Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA. Metro areas: Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Kennewick-Richland, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntington | Kennewick |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 51.3 | 94.8 |
| Goods | 96.3 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 87.9 | 93.6 |
| Other services | 99.4 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 88.4 | 100.1 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntington, WV → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.6%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,885/yr.
38 Weak offer
Kennewick, WA → Huntington, WV
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.2%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax +$3,885/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
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 Huntington, WV to Kennewick, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntington, WV | Kennewick, WA | Real change, Huntington → Kennewick |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | −11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | −11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | −11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | −11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | −11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntington, WV | Kennewick, WA | Kennewick pay in Huntington dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,450 | $100,380 | $88,688 (+54.4%) |
| Software Developers | $110,780 | $127,800 | $112,914 (+1.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,840 | $93,280 | $82,415 (+16.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,010 | $106,410 | $94,016 (+16.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.