City comparison
Merced, 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 12.9% higher than in Merced, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Merced, CA would need about $112,900 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 $1,213 in Merced, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 20% in Merced, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Merced, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −16.5% moving from Merced, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($133,060 → $111,119), while prices change by +12.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −26.0% in real buying power.
- Merced, CA: price level 98.3 (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
| Merced, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 98.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $112,909 in Urban Honolulu | $88,567 in Merced |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,213/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 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,220 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Merced, CA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Merced, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Merced | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 158.3 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 98.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Merced, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.4%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Merced, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +12.9%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Merced, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Merced, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Merced, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Merced → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $64,438 | −26.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $77,964 | −26.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $93,445 | −26.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $111,119 | −26.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $131,310 | −26.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Merced, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Merced dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $100,120 | $73,080 | $64,725 (−35.4%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $120,230 | $106,484 (−19.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,420 | $74,990 | $66,417 (−17.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,620 | $139,260 | $123,339 (−6.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.