City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Las Vegas, NV
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kennewick, WA (100.1) and Las Vegas, NV (100.2, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kennewick, WA goes as far as $100,100 in Las Vegas, NV.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,478 a month in Las Vegas, NV versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Las Vegas, NV and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in NV.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Kennewick, WA to Las Vegas, NV ($106,437 → $108,719), while prices change by +0.1%. Net effect of the transfer: +2.0% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Las Vegas, NV: price level 100.2 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Las Vegas, NV | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,136 in Las Vegas | $99,864 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,478/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (NV) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $46,670 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 115.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.3 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 90.6 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Las Vegas, NV
Roughly even
Buying power −0.1%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
Las Vegas, NV → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
69 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Las Vegas, NV is in Las Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Las Vegas, NV at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Las Vegas, NV | Real change, Kennewick → Las Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $63,046 | +2.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $76,280 | +2.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $91,427 | +2.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $108,719 | +2.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $128,473 | +2.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Las Vegas, NV | Las Vegas pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $65,040 | $64,952 (−35.3%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $129,940 | $129,764 (+1.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $80,530 | $80,421 (−13.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $103,940 | $103,799 (−2.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.