City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs New York, NY
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in New York, NY are 12.5% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $112,500 in New York, NY to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,655 a month in New York, NY versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 43% of take-home pay in New York, NY and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,860 a year higher in New York, NY 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 York, NY ($106,437 → $125,431), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +4.8% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- New York, NY: price level 112.6 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | New York, NY | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 112.6 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,474 in New York | $88,909 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $2,655/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,320 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,860 (NY) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 43% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $61,430 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 148.6 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 110.3 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 127.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 105.8 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 112.6 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → New York, NY
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 43% of take-home; state tax +$4,860/yr.
11 Weak offer
New York, NY → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,860/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; New York, NY is in New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to New York, NY at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | New York, NY | Real change, Kennewick → New York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $72,737 | +4.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $88,005 | +4.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $105,481 | +4.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $125,431 | +4.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $148,222 | +4.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | New York, NY | New York pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $96,900 | $86,153 (−14.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $166,830 | $148,327 (+16.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $105,650 | $93,933 (+0.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $119,720 | $106,442 (+0.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.