City comparison
Fresno, CA 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 8.6% higher than in Fresno, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Fresno, CA would need about $108,600 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 $1,355 in Fresno, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 22% in Fresno, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Fresno, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +3.9% moving from Fresno, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,973 → $111,119), while prices change by +8.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −4.4% in real buying power.
- Fresno, CA: price level 102.2 (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
| Fresno, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 102.2 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $108,617 in Urban Honolulu | $92,067 in Fresno |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,355/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 22% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,910 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Fresno, CA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Fresno, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Fresno | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 95.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 161.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 102.2 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Fresno, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −7.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
32 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Fresno, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +8.6%; rent takes 22% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
96 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Fresno, CA is in the Fresno-Madera-Hanford, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Fresno, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Fresno, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Fresno → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $62,033 | $64,438 | −4.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $75,055 | $77,964 | −4.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,959 | $93,445 | −4.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,973 | $111,119 | −4.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $126,410 | $131,310 | −4.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Fresno, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Fresno dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,800 | $73,080 | $67,282 (−14.6%) |
| Software Developers | $129,060 | $120,230 | $110,692 (−14.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,690 | $74,990 | $69,041 (−12.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,420 | $139,260 | $128,212 (+2.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.