City comparison
Seattle, WA vs Urban Honolulu, HI
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Overall prices in Seattle, WA (111.1) and Urban Honolulu, HI (111.0, U.S. average = 100) are within 1% of each other, so $100,000 in Seattle, WA goes as far as $99,800 in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- Rent is the bigger story: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,146 a month in Seattle, WA versus $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Seattle, WA and 33% in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Seattle, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.1% moving from Seattle, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($119,630 → $111,119), while prices change by −0.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −7.0% in real buying power.
- Seattle, WA: price level 111.1 (much 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
| Seattle, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $99,845 in Urban Honolulu | $100,155 in Seattle |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,146/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $72,610 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Seattle-Bellevue, WA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Seattle | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 151.3 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 104.0 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 92.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 106.8 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 111.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Seattle, WA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Roughly even
Buying power +0.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
57 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Seattle, WA
Roughly even
Buying power −0.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
57 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Seattle, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Seattle, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Seattle, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Seattle → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $64,438 | −7.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $77,964 | −7.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $93,445 | −7.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $111,119 | −7.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $131,310 | −7.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Seattle, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Seattle dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,920 | $73,080 | $73,193 (−28.9%) |
| Software Developers | $167,280 | $120,230 | $120,416 (−28.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $99,370 | $74,990 | $75,106 (−24.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $128,260 | $139,260 | $139,476 (+8.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.