Kennewick vs Seattle
The short version
- Kennewick is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 10% lower than in the Seattle area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $370,700 in Kennewick and $938,600 in Seattle.
- Households earn more in Seattle ($123,860 vs $73,576 median).
- Seattle has the warmer winter: January highs of 47°F vs 41°F.
- Kennewick has more scorching days: 55 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 2.
- Commutes are shorter in Kennewick (21 vs 26 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Kennewick, WA | Seattle, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 88,366 | 784,777 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.3% | +6.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,100 | 9,343 |
| Median age | 35.7 | 35.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26% | 68% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,576 | $123,860 |
| Median home value | $370,700 | $938,600 |
| Home value to income | 5.0× | 7.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,240 | $2,030 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 100.1 | 111.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 94.8 | 151.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $75,100 | $83,300 |
| Homeowners | 61% | 44% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 9.57% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.3 | 26.0 |
| Work from home | 10% | 35% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 12% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% | 9.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 41° / 28° | 47° / 37° |
| July high / low | 93° / 57° | 77° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 8 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 2 in | 4 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 55 | 2 |
| Nights below freezing | 112 | 25 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 87.1 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 79% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.9% | +0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +33.2% | +24.6% |
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. Seattle: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Kennewick weather by month and Seattle 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 $83,300 in Seattle. Moving from Kennewick to Seattle, you would need about $83,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Kennewick and Seattle
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Kennewick and Seattle.
Which would you pick?
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