City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Miami, FL
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Miami, FL are 14.1% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $114,100 in Miami, FL to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,995 a month in Miami, FL versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 30% of take-home pay in Miami, FL and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- Estimated state income tax on $100,000 is close: $0 a year in WA and $0 in FL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +6.5% moving from Kennewick, WA to Miami, FL ($106,437 → $113,356), while prices change by +14.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −6.6% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Miami, FL: price level 114.2 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Miami, FL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 114.2 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $114,065 in Miami | $87,669 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,995/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (FL) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 30% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $48,640 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, FL HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Miami |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 155.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 103.6 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 97.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 109.1 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 114.2 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Miami, FL
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 30% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
30 Weak offer
Miami, FL → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Miami, FL is in Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Miami, FL at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Miami, FL | Real change, Kennewick → Miami |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $65,735 | −6.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $79,533 | −6.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $95,326 | −6.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $113,356 | −6.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $133,953 | −6.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Miami, FL | Miami pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $58,300 | $51,111 (−49.1%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $132,650 | $116,293 (−9.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $80,920 | $70,942 (−23.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $91,380 | $80,112 (−24.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.