City comparison
Hagerstown, MD 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 17.8% higher than in Hagerstown, MD. Someone earning $100,000 in Hagerstown, MD would need about $117,800 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 $961 in Hagerstown, MD. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 15% in Hagerstown, MD.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,683 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Hagerstown, MD.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −8.8% moving from Hagerstown, MD to Urban Honolulu, HI ($121,785 → $111,119), while prices change by +17.8%. Net effect of the transfer: −22.6% in real buying power.
- Hagerstown, MD: price level 94.2 (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
| Hagerstown, MD | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 94.2 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $117,829 in Urban Honolulu | $84,869 in Hagerstown |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $961/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,794 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,386 (MD) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,440 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Hagerstown, MD HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Hagerstown | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 75.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 95.7 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 94.2 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Hagerstown, MD → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,683/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Hagerstown, MD
Same pay goes further
Buying power +17.8%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$1,683/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Hagerstown, MD is in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Hagerstown, MD to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Hagerstown, MD | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Hagerstown → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $70,623 | $64,438 | −22.6% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $85,447 | $77,964 | −22.6% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $102,415 | $93,445 | −22.6% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $121,785 | $111,119 | −22.6% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $143,913 | $131,310 | −22.6% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Hagerstown, MD | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Hagerstown dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $63,190 | $73,080 | $62,022 (−1.8%) |
| Software Developers | $122,830 | $120,230 | $102,037 (−16.9%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $75,250 | $74,990 | $63,643 (−15.4%) |
| Registered Nurses | $92,770 | $139,260 | $118,188 (+27.4%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.