City comparison
Baton Rouge, LA 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 22.2% higher than in Baton Rouge, LA. Someone earning $100,000 in Baton Rouge, LA would need about $122,200 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 $1,064 in Baton Rouge, LA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in Baton Rouge, LA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,456 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Baton Rouge, LA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Baton Rouge, LA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +22.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.6% in real buying power.
- Baton Rouge, LA: price level 90.8 (much 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
| Baton Rouge, LA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 90.8 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $122,231 in Urban Honolulu | $81,813 in Baton Rouge |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,064/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,566 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $2,614 (LA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,710 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Baton Rouge, LA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Baton Rouge, LA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Baton Rouge | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 74.2 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 71.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 95.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 90.8 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Baton Rouge, LA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −18.2%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,456/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Baton Rouge, LA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +22.2%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$3,456/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Baton Rouge, LA is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Baton Rouge, LA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Baton Rouge, LA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Baton Rouge → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −14.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −14.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −14.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −14.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −14.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Baton Rouge, LA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Baton Rouge dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,310 | $73,080 | $59,789 (+0.8%) |
| Software Developers | $101,900 | $120,230 | $98,363 (−3.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $73,070 | $74,990 | $61,351 (−16.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,130 | $139,260 | $113,932 (+40.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.