City comparison
Kennewick, WA vs Youngstown, OH
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Kennewick, WA are 14.5% higher than in Youngstown, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Youngstown, OH would need about $114,500 in Kennewick, WA to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $1,268 a month in Kennewick, WA versus $771 in Youngstown, OH. On $100,000, that's 19% of take-home pay in Kennewick, WA and 12% in Youngstown, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,968 a year higher in Youngstown, OH than in Kennewick, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Kennewick, WA to Youngstown, OH ($106,437 → $111,138), while prices change by −12.7%. Net effect of the transfer: +19.6% in real buying power.
- Kennewick, WA: price level 100.1 (about average)
- Youngstown, OH: price level 87.4 (much cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Youngstown, OH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.1 | 87.4 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $87,325 in Youngstown | $114,515 in Kennewick |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,268/mo | $771/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $77,212 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $1,968 (OH) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 12% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,290 | $43,800 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA |
Rent areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA MSA and Youngstown-Warren, OH MSA. Metro areas: Kennewick-Richland, WA and Youngstown-Warren, OH.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Kennewick | Youngstown |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.8 | 53.4 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 93.6 |
| Utilities | 93.6 | 96.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 98.9 |
| Overall | 100.1 | 87.4 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Kennewick, WA → Youngstown, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.5%; rent takes 12% of take-home; state tax +$1,968/yr.
100 Strong offer
Youngstown, OH → Kennewick, WA
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.7%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,968/yr.
38 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Kennewick, WA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Youngstown, OH is in Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Kennewick, WA to Youngstown, OH at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Kennewick, WA | Youngstown, OH | Real change, Kennewick → Youngstown |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,448 | +19.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,977 | +19.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,461 | +19.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,138 | +19.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,331 | +19.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Kennewick, WA | Youngstown, OH | Youngstown pay in Kennewick dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,380 | $72,560 | $83,092 (−17.2%) |
| Software Developers | $127,800 | $107,990 | $123,664 (−3.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $93,280 | $73,080 | $83,687 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $106,410 | $78,680 | $90,100 (−15.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.