City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Visalia, CA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Kennewick, WA (100.1) and Visalia, CA (99.8, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Kennewick, WA goes as far as $99,700 in Visalia, CA.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $1,123 in Visalia, CA. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 18% in Visalia, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $5,070 a year higher in Visalia, CA than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.5% moving from Kennewick, WA to Visalia, CA ($106,437 → $106,973), while prices change by −0.3%. Net effect of the transfer: +0.8% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Visalia, CA: price level 99.8 (about average)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Visalia, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 99.8 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,746 in Visalia | $100,254 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $1,123/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% | 18% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $45,130 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Visalia, CA MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Visalia, CA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Visalia |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 84.1 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 105.2 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 156.4 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 100.3 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 99.8 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Visalia, CA
Roughly even
Buying power +0.3%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax +$5,070/yr.
70 Fair offer
Visalia, CA → Kennewick, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.3%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$5,070/yr.
68 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Visalia, CA is in Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Visalia, CA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Visalia, CA | Real change, Kennewick → Visalia |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $62,033 | +0.8% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $75,055 | +0.8% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $89,959 | +0.8% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $106,973 | +0.8% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $126,410 | +0.8% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Visalia, CA | Visalia pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $98,430 | $98,680 (−1.7%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $126,170 | $126,491 (−1.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $79,400 | $79,602 (−14.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $125,180 | $125,499 (+17.9%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.