City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Richmond, VA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 2.3% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $102,300 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,507 a month in Richmond, VA versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 24% of take-home pay in Richmond, VA and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,936 a year higher in Richmond, VA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.5% moving from Kennewick, WA to Richmond, VA ($106,437 → $111,183), while prices change by −2.2%. Net effect of the transfer: +6.8% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Richmond, VA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 97.9 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $97,781 in Richmond | $102,270 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,507/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,244 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $4,936 (VA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 24% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $51,460 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Richmond, VA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Richmond, VA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Richmond |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 99.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 96.8 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 89.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.6 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 97.9 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.3%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax +$4,936/yr.
76 Strong offer
Richmond, VA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.2%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$4,936/yr.
62 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Richmond, VA is in Richmond, VA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Richmond, VA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Richmond, VA | Real change, Kennewick → Richmond |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,475 | +6.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $78,009 | +6.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,499 | +6.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,183 | +6.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,385 | +6.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Richmond, VA | Richmond pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $61,290 | $62,681 (−37.6%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $132,120 | $135,119 (+5.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $84,220 | $86,131 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $93,580 | $95,704 (−10.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.