City comparison
Bremerton, WA 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 5.1% higher than in Bremerton, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Bremerton, WA would need about $105,100 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 $1,548 in Bremerton, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 23% in Bremerton, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Bremerton, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.1% moving from Bremerton, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($119,630 → $111,119), while prices change by +5.1%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.6% in real buying power.
- Bremerton, WA: price level 105.6 (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
| Bremerton, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 105.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $105,070 in Urban Honolulu | $95,175 in Bremerton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,548/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 | 23% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $63,200 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Bremerton | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 92.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 105.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Bremerton, WA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.8%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
42 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Bremerton, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +5.1%; rent takes 23% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
85 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Bremerton, 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 Bremerton, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Bremerton, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Bremerton → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $64,438 | −11.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $77,964 | −11.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $93,445 | −11.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $111,119 | −11.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $131,310 | −11.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Bremerton, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Bremerton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $102,650 | $73,080 | $69,554 (−32.2%) |
| Software Developers | $146,200 | $120,230 | $114,429 (−21.7%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $88,250 | $74,990 | $71,372 (−19.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $107,220 | $139,260 | $132,541 (+23.6%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.