Kennewick vs Missoula
The short version
- Missoula is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Kennewick area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $370,700 in Kennewick and $473,100 in Missoula.
- Kennewick has the warmer winter: January highs of 41°F vs 32°F.
- Missoula gets far more snow: 43 inches a year vs 2.
- Kennewick has more scorching days: 55 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 27.
- Commutes are shorter in Missoula (16 vs 21 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Montana's top rate is 5.65%.
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Missoula, MT | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 88,366 | 78,903 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.3% | +6.4% |
| People per square mile | 3,100 | 2,253 |
| Median age | 35.7 | 34.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 53% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,576 | $70,392 |
| Median home value | $370,700 | $473,100 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 6.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,240 | $1,189 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 96.4 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 94.8 | 94.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,100 | $72,300 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 47% |
| Top state income tax | None | 5.65% |
| Combined sales tax | 9.57% | 0% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.3 | 15.8 |
| Work from home | 10% | 15% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 11.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 41° / 28° | 32° / 18° |
| July high / low | 93° / 57° | 85° / 52° |
| Precipitation per year | 8 in | 14 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 43 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 55 | 27 |
| Nights below freezing | 112 | 173 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 87.1 | 77.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 79% | 82% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.9% | +0.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.2% | +45.9% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Kennewick: May to June and September. Missoula: June to September.
Full monthly tables: Kennewick weather by month and Missoula weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $75,100 in Kennewick and $72,300 in Missoula. Moving from Kennewick to Missoula, you would need about $72,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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