City comparison
Salem, OR 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 7.1% higher than in Salem, OR. Someone earning $100,000 in Salem, OR would need about $107,100 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 $1,201 in Salem, OR. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 20% in Salem, OR.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,851 a year higher in Salem, OR than in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −3.1% moving from Salem, OR to Urban Honolulu, HI ($114,684 → $111,119), while prices change by +7.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −9.5% in real buying power.
- Salem, OR: price level 103.6 (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
| Salem, OR | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,055 in Urban Honolulu | $93,410 in Salem |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,201/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $71,260 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $7,920 (OR) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 20% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $55,310 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Salem, OR MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Salem, OR and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Salem | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 110.3 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.3 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 104.7 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 103.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Salem, OR → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$1,851/yr.
36 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Salem, OR
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.1%; rent takes 20% of take-home; state tax +$1,851/yr.
91 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Salem, OR is in the Portland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Salem, OR to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Salem, OR | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Salem → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $66,505 | $64,438 | −9.5% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $80,465 | $77,964 | −9.5% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $96,443 | $93,445 | −9.5% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $114,684 | $111,119 | −9.5% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $135,522 | $131,310 | −9.5% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Salem, OR | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Salem dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $74,810 | $73,080 | $68,264 (−8.7%) |
| Software Developers | $131,620 | $120,230 | $112,307 (−14.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $87,480 | $74,990 | $70,048 (−19.9%) |
| Registered Nurses | $131,750 | $139,260 | $130,083 (−1.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.