City comparison
Richmond, VA 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 13.4% higher than in Richmond, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Richmond, VA would need about $113,400 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 $1,507 in Richmond, VA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Richmond, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,134 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Richmond, VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.1% moving from Richmond, VA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,183 → $111,119), while prices change by +13.4%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.9% in real buying power.
- Richmond, VA: price level 97.9 (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
| Richmond, VA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.9 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,390 in Urban Honolulu | $88,191 in Richmond |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,507/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,460 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Richmond, VA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Richmond, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Richmond, VA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Richmond | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 99.1 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 97.9 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Richmond, VA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −11.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,134/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Richmond, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +13.4%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$1,134/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Richmond, VA is in the Richmond, VA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Richmond, VA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Richmond, VA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Richmond → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,475 | $64,438 | −11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $78,009 | $77,964 | −11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,499 | $93,445 | −11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,183 | $111,119 | −11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,385 | $131,310 | −11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Richmond, VA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Richmond dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $61,290 | $73,080 | $64,450 (+5.2%) |
| Software Developers | $132,120 | $120,230 | $106,032 (−19.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $84,220 | $74,990 | $66,135 (−21.5%) |
| Registered Nurses | $93,580 | $139,260 | $122,815 (+31.2%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.