City comparison
Des Moines, IA 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 21.0% higher than in Des Moines, IA. Someone earning $100,000 in Des Moines, IA would need about $121,000 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 $1,109 in Des Moines, IA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Des Moines, IA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,922 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Des Moines, IA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.6% moving from Des Moines, IA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($107,301 → $111,119), while prices change by +21.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.4% in real buying power.
- Des Moines, IA: price level 91.7 (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
| Des Moines, IA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.7 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,003 in Urban Honolulu | $82,643 in Des Moines |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,109/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,032 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,148 (IA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,820 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Des Moines | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 84.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 84.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 92.9 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 91.7 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Des Moines, IA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,922/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Des Moines, IA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.0%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,922/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Des Moines, IA is in the Des Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Des Moines, IA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Des Moines, IA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Des Moines → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,223 | $64,438 | −14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,284 | $77,964 | −14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $90,234 | $93,445 | −14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $107,301 | $111,119 | −14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,797 | $131,310 | −14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Des Moines, IA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Des Moines dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,650 | $73,080 | $60,395 (−2.0%) |
| Software Developers | $126,460 | $120,230 | $99,361 (−21.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,290 | $74,990 | $61,974 (−21.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $78,630 | $139,260 | $115,088 (+46.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.