City comparison
Urban Honolulu, HI vs York, PA
What a paycheck is really worth in each city: prices, rent and state taxes.
Key findings
- Prices in Urban Honolulu, HI are 15.6% higher than in York, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in York, PA would need about $115,600 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 $1,060 in York, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in York, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,000 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in York, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +9.6% moving from Urban Honolulu, HI to York, PA ($111,119 → $121,785), while prices change by −13.5%. Net effect of the transfer: +26.7% in real buying power.
- Urban Honolulu, HI: price level 111.0 (much pricier)
- York, PA: price level 96.0 (cheaper)
Map drawn from Census Bureau state boundaries and metro locations9,10; dot colours show BEA price levels2.
Side by side
| Urban Honolulu, HI | York, PA | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 111.0 | 96.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $86,517 in York | $115,584 in Urban Honolulu |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,016/mo | $1,060/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $73,110 | $76,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $6,070 (HI) | $3,070 (PA) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 33% | 17% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $57,220 | $48,170 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | State of Hawaii | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA |
Rent areas: Urban Honolulu, HI MSA and York-Hanover, PA MSA. Metro areas: Urban Honolulu, HI and York-Hanover, PA.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Urban Honolulu | York |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 135.5 | 79.8 |
| Goods | 111.6 | 100.7 |
| Utilities | 187.3 | 107.0 |
| Other services | 102.9 | 97.7 |
| Overall | 111.0 | 96.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Urban Honolulu, HI → York, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +15.6%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
York, PA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −13.5%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,000/yr.
25 Weak offer
On the GS pay scale?
Urban Honolulu, HI is in the State of Hawaii pay area; York, PA is in Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA. The last column shows what a transfer from Urban Honolulu, HI to York, PA at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Urban Honolulu, HI | York, PA | Real change, Urban Honolulu → York |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,438 | $70,623 | +26.7% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,964 | $85,447 | +26.7% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,445 | $102,415 | +26.7% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,119 | $121,785 | +26.7% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,310 | $143,913 | +26.7% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Urban Honolulu, HI | York, PA | York pay in Urban Honolulu dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $73,080 | $79,730 | $92,155 (+26.1%) |
| Software Developers | $120,230 | $114,600 | $132,460 (+10.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,990 | $75,160 | $86,873 (+15.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $139,260 | $96,210 | $111,204 (−20.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.