City comparison
Louisville, KY 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 19.2% higher than in Louisville, KY. Someone earning $100,000 in Louisville, KY would need about $119,200 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 $1,047 in Louisville, KY. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in Louisville, KY.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,687 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Louisville, KY.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Louisville, KY to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +19.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.4% in real buying power.
- Louisville, KY: price level 93.1 (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
| Louisville, KY | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,218 in Urban Honolulu | $83,880 in Louisville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,047/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,798 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,382 (KY) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,370 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Louisville, KY-IN HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Louisville | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 75.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Louisville, KY → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,687/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Louisville, KY
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$2,687/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Louisville, KY 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 Louisville, KY to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Louisville, KY | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Louisville → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −12.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −12.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −12.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −12.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −12.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Louisville, KY | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Louisville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,610 | $73,080 | $61,299 (−0.5%) |
| Software Developers | $110,270 | $120,230 | $100,849 (−8.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $76,320 | $74,990 | $62,902 (−17.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $84,850 | $139,260 | $116,811 (+37.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.