City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Spokane, WA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kennewick, WA (100.1) and Spokane, WA (100.3, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kennewick, WA goes as far as $100,300 in Spokane, WA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,193 in Spokane, WA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 18% in Spokane, WA.
- Both are in WA, so estimated state income tax is the same: $0 a year on $100,000.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Kennewick, WA to Spokane, WA ($106,437 → $106,991), while prices change by +0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.3% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Spokane, WA: price level 100.3 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Spokane, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 100.3 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $100,267 in Spokane | $99,734 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,193/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $79,180 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $0 (WA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $54,660 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Spokane, WA HUD Metro FMR Area. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Spokane |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 97.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.0 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 91.2 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 99.5 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 100.3 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Spokane, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
68 Fair offer
Spokane, WA → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax +$0/yr.
70 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Spokane, WA is in Spokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Spokane, WA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Spokane, WA | Real change, Kennewick → Spokane |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,044 | +0.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,068 | +0.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,974 | +0.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,991 | +0.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,432 | +0.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Spokane, WA | Spokane pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $98,800 | $98,537 (−1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $130,690 | $130,342 (+2.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $86,350 | $86,120 (−7.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $111,750 | $111,453 (+4.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.