City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs New Haven, CT
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New Haven, CT are 4.5% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $104,500 in New Haven, CT to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,591 a month in New Haven, CT versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 25% of take-home pay in New Haven, CT and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,925 a year higher in New Haven, CT than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +17.8% moving from Kennewick, WA to New Haven, CT ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +4.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +12.8% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- New Haven, CT: price level 104.6 (pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | New Haven, CT | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 104.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,476 in New Haven | $95,715 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,591/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $75,255 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,925 (CT) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 25% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $60,060 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and New Haven, CT MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and New Haven, CT.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | New Haven |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 124.3 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 97.3 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 144.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.7 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 104.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → New Haven, CT
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.3%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax +$3,925/yr.
55 Fair offer
New Haven, CT → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,925/yr.
83 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New Haven, CT is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to New Haven, CT at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | New Haven, CT | Real change, Kennewick → New Haven |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +12.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +12.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +12.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +12.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +12.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | New Haven, CT | New Haven pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $79,820 | $76,400 (−23.9%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $133,040 | $127,340 (−0.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $94,960 | $90,891 (−2.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $104,490 | $100,013 (−6.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.