City comparison
Akron, OH 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 18.8% higher than in Akron, OH. Someone earning $100,000 in Akron, OH would need about $118,800 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 $985 in Akron, OH. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 15% in Akron, OH.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $4,102 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Akron, OH.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −0.0% moving from Akron, OH to Urban Honolulu, HI ($111,138 → $111,119), while prices change by +18.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.9% in real buying power.
- Akron, OH: price level 93.4 (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
| Akron, OH | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.4 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,840 in Urban Honolulu | $84,147 in Akron |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $985/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $77,212 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $1,968 (OH) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,840 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Akron, OH MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Akron, OH and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Akron | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.8 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 96.4 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.9 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.4 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Akron, OH → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$4,102/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Akron, OH
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$4,102/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Akron, OH is in the Cleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Akron, OH to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Akron, OH | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Akron → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,448 | $64,438 | −15.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,977 | $77,964 | −15.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,461 | $93,445 | −15.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $111,138 | $111,119 | −15.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $131,331 | $131,310 | −15.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Akron, OH | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Akron dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $78,560 | $73,080 | $61,494 (−21.7%) |
| Software Developers | $105,430 | $120,230 | $101,170 (−4.0%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $78,540 | $74,990 | $63,102 (−19.7%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,770 | $139,260 | $117,183 (+45.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.