City comparison
Baltimore, MD vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 6.2% higher than in Baltimore, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Baltimore, MD would need about $106,200 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,016 a month in Urban Honolulu, HI versus $1,511 in Baltimore, MD. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Baltimore, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,683 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Baltimore, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Baltimore, MD to Urban Honolulu, HI ($121,785 → $111,119), while prices change by +6.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.1% in real buying power.
- Baltimore, MD: price level 104.5 (pricier)
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Baltimore, MD | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 104.5 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $106,196 in Urban Honolulu | $94,166 in Baltimore |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,511/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $59,070 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baltimore | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 118.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 102.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 110.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 101.5 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 104.5 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baltimore, MD → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −5.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,683/yr.
38 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Baltimore, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +6.2%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,683/yr.
88 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baltimore, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Baltimore, MD to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baltimore, MD | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Baltimore → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,438 | −14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $77,964 | −14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,445 | −14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $111,119 | −14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $131,310 | −14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baltimore, MD | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Baltimore dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,400 | $73,080 | $68,816 (−9.9%) |
| Software Developers | $138,900 | $120,230 | $113,215 (−18.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,160 | $74,990 | $70,615 (−17.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,550 | $139,260 | $131,135 (+31.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.