City comparison
Charlotte, NC 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 14.0% higher than in Charlotte, NC. Someone earning $100,000 in Charlotte, NC would need about $114,000 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 $1,538 in Charlotte, NC. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 24% in Charlotte, NC.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,589 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Charlotte, NC.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +2.1% moving from Charlotte, NC to Urban Honolulu, HI ($108,810 → $111,119), while prices change by +14.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −10.4% in real buying power.
- Charlotte, NC: price level 97.3 (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
| Charlotte, NC | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 97.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $113,984 in Urban Honolulu | $87,732 in Charlotte |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,538/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,699 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,481 (NC) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 24% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $49,990 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Charlotte | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 97.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.6 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 89.2 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 97.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Charlotte, NC → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −12.3%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,589/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Charlotte, NC
Same pay goes further
Buying power +14.0%; rent takes 24% of take-home; state tax −$2,589/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Charlotte, NC is in the Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Charlotte, NC to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Charlotte, NC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Charlotte → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $63,098 | $64,438 | −10.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $76,343 | $77,964 | −10.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $91,503 | $93,445 | −10.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $108,810 | $111,119 | −10.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $128,581 | $131,310 | −10.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Charlotte, NC | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Charlotte dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $58,680 | $73,080 | $64,114 (+9.3%) |
| Software Developers | $135,920 | $120,230 | $105,480 (−22.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $92,910 | $74,990 | $65,790 (−29.2%) |
| Registered Nurses | $90,620 | $139,260 | $122,175 (+34.8%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.