City comparison
Huntsville, AL 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 19.2% higher than in Huntsville, AL. Someone earning $100,000 in Huntsville, AL would need about $119,200 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 $1,136 in Huntsville, AL. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 18% in Huntsville, AL.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,335 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Huntsville, AL.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +0.2% moving from Huntsville, AL to Urban Honolulu, HI ($110,847 → $111,119), while prices change by +19.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −15.9% in real buying power.
- Huntsville, AL: price level 93.1 (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
| Huntsville, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.1 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $119,221 in Urban Honolulu | $83,878 in Huntsville |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,136/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,445 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,735 (AL) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 18% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $51,740 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Huntsville, AL MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Huntsville, AL and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Huntsville | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 77.9 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 83.9 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.1 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Huntsville, AL → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −16.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,335/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Huntsville, AL
Same pay goes further
Buying power +19.2%; rent takes 18% of take-home; state tax −$1,335/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Huntsville, AL is in the Huntsville-Decatur, AL-TN pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Huntsville, AL to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Huntsville, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Huntsville → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $64,279 | $64,438 | −15.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $77,772 | $77,964 | −15.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $93,216 | $93,445 | −15.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $110,847 | $111,119 | −15.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $130,987 | $131,310 | −15.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Huntsville, AL | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Huntsville dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,250 | $73,080 | $61,298 (−1.5%) |
| Software Developers | $128,080 | $120,230 | $100,847 (−21.3%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $79,220 | $74,990 | $62,900 (−20.6%) |
| Registered Nurses | $77,090 | $139,260 | $116,809 (+51.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.