City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Merced, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 1.8% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $101,800 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Typical 1-bedroom rents are close: $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA and $1,213 in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Merced, CA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Kennewick, WA to Merced, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by −1.8%. Net effect of the transfer: +27.3% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Merced, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 98.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $98,197 in Merced | $101,836 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,213/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 20% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $47,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Merced, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Merced, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Merced |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 78.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 158.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 98.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Merced, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.8%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
74 Strong offer
Merced, CA → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −1.8%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Merced, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Merced, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Merced, CA | Real change, Kennewick → Merced |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +27.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +27.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +27.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +27.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +27.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Merced, CA | Merced pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $100,120 | $101,958 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $132,120 | $134,545 (+5.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $80,420 | $81,896 (−12.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $131,620 | $134,036 (+26.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.