City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Vallejo, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Vallejo, CA are 8.4% higher than in Kennewick, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Kennewick, WA would need about $108,400 in Vallejo, CA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,705 a month in Vallejo, CA versus $1,268 in Kennewick, WA. On $100,000, that's 28% of take-home pay in Vallejo, CA and 19% in Kennewick, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Vallejo, CA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +25.0% moving from Kennewick, WA to Vallejo, CA ($106,437 → $133,060), while prices change by +8.4%. Net effect of the transfer: +15.3% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Vallejo, CA: price level 108.5 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Vallejo, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 108.5 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,393 in Vallejo | $92,257 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,705/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $74,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $5,070 (CA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 28% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $58,620 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Vallejo, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Vallejo, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Vallejo |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 142.0 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 155.0 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 108.5 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Vallejo, CA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.7%; rent takes 28% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
41 Weak offer
Vallejo, CA → Kennewick, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.4%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
95 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Vallejo, CA is in San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Vallejo, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Vallejo, CA | Real change, Kennewick → Vallejo |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $77,161 | +15.3% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $93,358 | +15.3% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $111,896 | +15.3% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $133,060 | +15.3% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $157,236 | +15.3% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Vallejo, CA | Vallejo pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $100,790 | $92,985 (−7.4%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $136,930 | $126,327 (−1.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $95,800 | $88,382 (−5.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $203,290 | $187,548 (+76.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.