City comparison
Houston, 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 12.5% higher than in Houston, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Houston, TX would need about $112,500 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 $1,323 in Houston, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 20% in Houston, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Houston, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −9.5% moving from Houston, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI ($122,749 → $111,119), while prices change by +12.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −19.5% in real buying power.
- Houston, TX: price level 98.6 (about average)
- 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
| Houston, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,503 in Urban Honolulu | $88,886 in Houston |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,323/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 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,410 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Houston-The Woodlands, TX | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Houston | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 104.5 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 100.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 95.3 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 95.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 98.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Houston, TX → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Houston, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.5%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Houston, TX is in the Houston-The Woodlands, TX pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Houston, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Houston, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Houston → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,181 | $64,438 | −19.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $86,123 | $77,964 | −19.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $103,225 | $93,445 | −19.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $122,749 | $111,119 | −19.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $145,052 | $131,310 | −19.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Houston, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Houston dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $64,500 | $73,080 | $64,958 (+0.7%) |
| Software Developers | $129,440 | $120,230 | $106,868 (−17.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $85,090 | $74,990 | $66,656 (−21.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $99,830 | $139,260 | $123,783 (+24.0%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.