City comparison
Olympia, WA 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 7.0% higher than in Olympia, WA. Someone earning $100,000 in Olympia, WA would need about $107,000 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 $1,682 in Olympia, WA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 25% in Olympia, WA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $6,070 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Olympia, WA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −7.1% moving from Olympia, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($119,630 → $111,119), while prices change by +7.0%. Net effect of the transfer: −13.2% in real buying power.
- Olympia, WA: price level 103.7 (pricier)
- 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
| Olympia, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 103.7 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $107,033 in Urban Honolulu | $93,429 in Olympia |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,682/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $79,180 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $0 (WA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 25% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $61,960 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Olympia | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 116.7 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.0 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 91.7 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 99.5 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 103.7 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Olympia, WA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −6.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$6,070/yr.
36 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Olympia, WA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +7.0%; rent takes 25% of take-home; state tax −$6,070/yr.
90 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Olympia, WA is in the Seattle-Tacoma, WA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Olympia, WA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Olympia, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Olympia → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $69,373 | $64,438 | −13.2% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $83,935 | $77,964 | −13.2% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $100,602 | $93,445 | −13.2% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $119,630 | $111,119 | −13.2% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $141,367 | $131,310 | −13.2% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Olympia, WA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Olympia dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $104,650 | $73,080 | $68,278 (−34.8%) |
| Software Developers | $124,060 | $120,230 | $112,330 (−9.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,470 | $74,990 | $70,063 (−25.8%) |
| Registered Nurses | $125,020 | $139,260 | $130,110 (+4.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.