City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Providence, RI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent, state taxes and federal GS pay.
Key findings
- Prices in Providence, RI are 1.7% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $101,700 in Providence, RI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,402 a month in Providence, RI versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 22% of take-home pay in Providence, RI and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,148 a year higher in Providence, RI than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +13.3% moving from Kennewick, WA to Providence, RI ($106,437 → $120,548), while prices change by +1.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +11.4% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Providence, RI: price level 101.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Providence, RI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 101.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $101,693 in Providence | $98,336 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,402/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $76,032 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $3,148 (RI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 22% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $53,680 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Providence-Fall River, RI-MA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Providence |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 103.9 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 97.1 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 148.8 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 101.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Providence, RI
Roughly even
Buying power −1.7%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax +$3,148/yr.
64 Fair offer
Providence, RI → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +1.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$3,148/yr.
74 Strong offer
Federal employees: GS pay
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Providence, RI is in Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Providence, RI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Providence, RI | Real change, Kennewick → Providence |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $69,905 | +11.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $84,579 | +11.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $101,375 | +11.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $120,548 | +11.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $142,452 | +11.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Providence, RI | Providence pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | not published | $109,940 | — |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $130,690 | $128,515 (+0.6%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $95,020 | $93,438 (+0.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $99,880 | $98,218 (−7.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.