City comparison
Flint, MI 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 19.3% higher than in Flint, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Flint, MI would need about $119,300 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 $856 in Flint, MI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 14% in Flint, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,071 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Flint, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Flint, MI to Urban Honolulu, HI ($117,402 → $111,119), while prices change by +19.3%. Net effect of the transfer: −20.6% in real buying power.
- Flint, MI: price level 93.0 (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
| Flint, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.0 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,269 in Urban Honolulu | $83,844 in Flint |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $856/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 14% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $45,880 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Flint, MI MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Flint, MI and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Flint | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.0 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 97.1 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.0 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Flint, MI → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,071/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Flint, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.3%; rent takes 14% of take-home; state tax −$2,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Flint, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Flint, MI to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Flint, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Flint → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,438 | −20.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,964 | −20.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,445 | −20.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,119 | −20.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,310 | −20.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Flint, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Flint dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,620 | $73,080 | $61,273 (−6.6%) |
| Software Developers | $101,750 | $120,230 | $100,805 (−0.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,500 | $74,990 | $62,875 (−15.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,780 | $139,260 | $116,761 (+19.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.