City comparison
Detroit, MI 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 10.6% higher than in Detroit, MI. Someone earning $100,000 in Detroit, MI would need about $110,600 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 $1,122 in Detroit, MI. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Detroit, MI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $2,071 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Detroit, MI.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −5.4% moving from Detroit, MI to Urban Honolulu, HI ($117,402 → $111,119), while prices change by +10.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.4% in real buying power.
- Detroit, MI: price level 100.3 (about average)
- 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
| Detroit, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 100.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $110,631 in Urban Honolulu | $90,390 in Detroit |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,122/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $75,181 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,999 (MI) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $52,080 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Detroit | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 94.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 98.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 107.0 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 102.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 100.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Detroit, MI → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −9.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$2,071/yr.
27 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Detroit, MI
Same pay goes further
Buying power +10.6%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$2,071/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Detroit, MI is in the Detroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Detroit, MI to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Detroit, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Detroit → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $68,081 | $64,438 | −14.4% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $82,372 | $77,964 | −14.4% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $98,729 | $93,445 | −14.4% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $117,402 | $111,119 | −14.4% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $138,734 | $131,310 | −14.4% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Detroit, MI | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Detroit dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $65,210 | $73,080 | $66,057 (+1.3%) |
| Software Developers | $130,760 | $120,230 | $108,676 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $80,650 | $74,990 | $67,784 (−16.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $97,280 | $139,260 | $125,878 (+29.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.