City comparison
College Station, TX 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 22.0% higher than in College Station, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in College Station, TX would need about $122,000 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 $1,082 in College Station, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 16% in College Station, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in College Station, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from College Station, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +22.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.4% in real buying power.
- College Station, TX: price level 91.0 (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
| College Station, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,001 in Urban Honolulu | $81,967 in College Station |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,082/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $44,470 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: College Station-Bryan, TX MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: College Station-Bryan, TX and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | College Station | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 84.4 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 91.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
College Station, TX → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.0%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → College Station, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.0%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
College Station, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from College Station, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | College Station, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, College Station → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | College Station, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in College Station dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $57,870 | $73,080 | $59,901 (+3.5%) |
| Software Developers | $101,910 | $120,230 | $98,548 (−3.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $71,810 | $74,990 | $61,467 (−14.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $83,090 | $139,260 | $114,147 (+37.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.