Is Huntington cheaper than Kingsport?

They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Huntington and Kingsport metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.

Which has higher household income, Huntington or Kingsport?

Household incomes are similar — $61,741 in the Huntington metro versus $62,096 in Kingsport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Does a paycheck go further in Huntington or Kingsport?

It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($69,825 versus $71,831).

Which has cheaper rent, Huntington or Kingsport?

Rents are close — $914/mo in the Huntington metro versus $917/mo in Kingsport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).

Huntington vs Kingsport

Metro-area medians — Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH Metro Area vs Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA Metro Area — not the cities proper.

Kingsport comes out ahead, winning 3 of the 4 clearly-decided measures.

Huntington and Kingsport are closely matched on both cost of living and household income. Adjusted for local prices, a typical paycheck stretches about as far in either.

Their widest everyday difference: the typical commute is shorter in Kingsport — about 23.4 min versus 25.7 min.

For your salary & household

Enter your pay and household size to see what it's really worth here — the numbers update live and the link stays shareable.

Annual salary (gross)

Household size

Huntington, WV

$58,537

take-home / yr · 22% to tax

$66,202

real value after local prices

Kingsport, TN

$61,314

take-home / yr · 18% to tax

$70,926

real value after local prices

On $75,000 for just you, Kingsport leaves you about $4,724/yr better off after tax and local prices.

Take-home estimates a single filer taking the standard deduction (2025 federal brackets, FICA, and state income tax) and isn't tax advice. “Real value” rebases take-home to average U.S. prices using the BEA cost-of-living index; the per-person figure uses the OECD square-root equivalence scale.

Measure

Huntington

Kingsport

Livability (CityLedger)

35/100

39/100

Cost of living (price level, US = 100)

88.4

86.4

Cost-adjusted income (pay's real value)

$69,825

$71,831

Median household income

$61,741

$62,096

Median rent

$914/mo

$917/mo

Median home value

$159,600

$237,300

Unemployment

3.9%

Bachelor's degree or higher

23.3%

23.6%

Average commute

25.7 min

23.4 min

Air quality (median AQI)

Avg temperature

57°F

Choose Huntington for

+ Median home value

Full Huntington profile →

Choose Kingsport for

+ Livability (CityLedger)
+ Average commute
+ Air quality (median AQI)

Full Kingsport profile →

More comparisons

Metros closest to Huntington and Kingsport on cost, income, size, and education.

Huntington vs Hickory→Huntington vs Canton→Huntington vs Youngstown→Kingsport vs Youngstown→Kingsport vs Hickory→Kingsport vs Charleston→

Huntington vs Kingsport — frequently asked

Is Huntington cheaper than Kingsport?: They are about even — the overall cost of living in the Huntington and Kingsport metros is within 3% of each other (BEA Regional Price Parities), so neither is meaningfully cheaper.
Which has higher household income, Huntington or Kingsport?: Household incomes are similar — $61,741 in the Huntington metro versus $62,096 in Kingsport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).
Does a paycheck go further in Huntington or Kingsport?: It is roughly a wash. After adjusting income for local prices, a typical paycheck is worth about the same in both metros ($69,825 versus $71,831).
Which has cheaper rent, Huntington or Kingsport?: Rents are close — $914/mo in the Huntington metro versus $917/mo in Kingsport (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS).