How High Are Your Household Bills in Tri-Cities?

It's no secret that things have gotten more expensive.  Most of the focus has gone to the price of gas, but Washington State has also seen an increase in the cost of household bills.  Even the Tri-Cities has felt the impact.

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Washington State is the 6th highest in the nation (up from 8th last year) for the cost of household bills.  The Evergreen State as a whole is 24% higher than the national average with 33% of the annual household income (State median income is just under $91,000) going to household bills.

So how much more of your heard earned cash is going towards bills these days?

What is Defined As a Household Bill?

Before we get into the numbers, we need to determine what counts as a household bill?  Doxo.com determines household bills as mortgage/rent, utilities (energy, water, etc.), car loans and insurance, health and life insurance, security (home alarm), cell phone, and cable/satellite.  That is the criteria we will use.

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A number of cities in Washington State on the list are above the national average, including the big three that comprise the Tri-Cities.  West Richland entered the list this year as well sitting 7% above the national average for cost of living after being below the national average last year..

Richland

Richland took over the top spot this year from Pasco when it comes to the cost of household bills.  The average annual household income in Richland is just over $92,000, and of that, 32% is going to household bills.  Richland residents are spending $2,489 per month, or just under $30,000 per year on bills.  That places Richland 17% above the national average.

Pasco

Believe it or not, one of the fastest growing cities in the area and the State is the second highest for household bills locally.  The average household income in Pasco is roughly $77,999, and of that, 38% is going to household bills.  Pasco residents are shelling out $2,456 per month, or just under $29,500 per year on bills.  That all works out to 16% above the national average.

Kennewick

Kennewick is the least expensive (by far) of the big three for the cost of household bills.  The average household income  in Kennewick is just over $78,300, and of that, 35% is going to household bills.  Kennewick residents drop $2,255 per month, or just over $27,000 per year on bills.  That puts Kennewick 6% above the national average but 10% below Pasco and 11% below Richland.

Remember though, this does not include the cost of food, gas, clothing, or any things else that maybe considered a necessity.  If you would like to dive deeper into the data or see where the Tri-Cities compares to other areas of the State, you can check out all of the data here.