Kennewick vs Moses Lake
Kennewick, Washington versus Moses Lake, Washington: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Kennewick and Moses Lake score about the same overall (51 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Kennewick | Moses Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $70k | $66k |
| Cost of Living | $49k | $47k |
| Home Value | $318k | $245k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.79% | 1.00% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 9.38% | 9.38% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 6.65% | 6.79% |
| Unemployment | 4.5% | 5.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 35°F | 30°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 75°F | 74°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 8.9 in | 7.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 2.0 in | 13.9 in |
| Sunny Days | 252 days | 317 days |
| Summer Humidity | 44°F | 45°F |
| Comfortable Days | 53 days | 66 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 61.7 | 33.3 |
| Air Quality | 38 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 57.9 | 85.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1601/100k | 1801/100k |
| Property Crime | 4666/100k | 5477/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 83,823 | 25,155 |
| Median Age | 35.2 | 31.1 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.45 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.98 | 0.91 |
| Political Leaning | R+22 | R+35 |
| White (%) | 62.3% | 51.0% |
| Black (%) | 2.2% | 3.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 29.3% | 39.2% |
| Asian (%) | 2.3% | 0.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.9% | 5.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 19 min |
| Walkability | 13.7/20 | 5.2/20 |
| Airport Distance | 125 mi | 88 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.3% | 86.8% |
| Amenities Nearby | 35.19 | 27.83 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Kennewick or Moses Lake more affordable?
- Moses Lake has the lower cost of living: its index is $47k, compared with Kennewick's $49k and Moses Lake's $47k. Median rent is $1k in Kennewick versus $1k in Moses Lake.
- Is Kennewick or Moses Lake safer?
- Kennewick has the lower violent crime rate. Kennewick reports 1601/100k and Moses Lake reports 1801/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Kennewick or Moses Lake?
- The median home value is $318k in Kennewick and $245k in Moses Lake, so homes are more affordable in Moses Lake.