City comparison
Birmingham, AL 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 21.1% higher than in Birmingham, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Birmingham, AL would need about $121,100 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 $1,155 in Birmingham, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 19% in Birmingham, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,335 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Birmingham, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.4% moving from Birmingham, AL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($107,510 → $111,119), while prices change by +21.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.6% in real buying power.
- Birmingham, AL: price level 91.6 (much cheaper)
- 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
| Birmingham, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,078 in Urban Honolulu | $82,591 in Birmingham |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,155/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 19% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,770 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Birmingham-Hoover, AL HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Birmingham, AL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Birmingham | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 71.9 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 83.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 91.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Birmingham, AL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,335/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Birmingham, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.1%; rent takes 19% of take-home; state tax −$1,335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Birmingham, AL is in the Birmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Birmingham, AL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Birmingham, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Birmingham → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,344 | $64,438 | −14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,431 | $77,964 | −14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,410 | $93,445 | −14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,510 | $111,119 | −14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $127,044 | $131,310 | −14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Birmingham, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Birmingham dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,630 | $73,080 | $60,358 (−3.6%) |
| Software Developers | $125,410 | $120,230 | $99,299 (−20.8%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,660 | $74,990 | $61,935 (−21.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,680 | $139,260 | $115,016 (+46.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.