City comparison
Lubbock, TX 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 21.5% higher than in Lubbock, TX. Someone earning $100,000 in Lubbock, TX would need about $121,500 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 $990 in Lubbock, TX. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 15% in Lubbock, TX.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Lubbock, TX.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Lubbock, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +21.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.1% in real buying power.
- Lubbock, TX: price level 91.3 (much 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
| Lubbock, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 91.3 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $121,512 in Urban Honolulu | $82,296 in Lubbock |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $990/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (TX) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 15% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $42,130 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Lubbock, TX HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Lubbock, TX and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Lubbock | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 76.4 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 93.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 82.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 96.2 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 91.3 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Lubbock, TX → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −17.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Lubbock, TX
Same pay goes further
Buying power +21.5%; rent takes 15% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Lubbock, TX is in the Rest of U.S. pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Lubbock, TX to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Lubbock, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Lubbock → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Lubbock, TX | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Lubbock dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $59,220 | $73,080 | $60,142 (+1.6%) |
| Software Developers | $115,190 | $120,230 | $98,945 (−14.1%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $74,390 | $74,990 | $61,714 (−17.0%) |
| Registered Nurses | $81,480 | $139,260 | $114,606 (+40.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.