City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs McAllen, TX
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 16.5% higher than in McAllen, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in McAllen, TX would need about $116,500 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 $847 in McAllen, TX. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 13% in McAllen, TX.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in TX.
- 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 Kennewick, WA to McAllen, TX changes real buying power by +16.5%, purely from prices.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- McAllen, TX: price level 85.9 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | McAllen, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 85.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $85,827 in McAllen | $116,513 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $847/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (TX) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 13% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $35,830 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Rest of U.S. |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | McAllen |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 55.9 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.8 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 81.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 96.2 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 85.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → McAllen, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +16.5%; rent takes 13% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
McAllen, TX → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −14.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
38 Weak 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 Kennewick, WA to McAllen, TX at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | McAllen, TX | Real change, Kennewick → McAllen |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $61,722 | +16.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $74,678 | +16.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,508 | +16.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,437 | +16.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $125,776 | +16.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | McAllen, TX | McAllen pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $63,110 | $73,531 (−26.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $116,120 | $135,295 (+5.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $64,470 | $75,116 (−19.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $80,540 | $93,840 (−11.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.