City comparison
Riverside, CA 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 4.2% higher than in Riverside, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Riverside, CA would need about $104,200 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 $1,777 in Riverside, CA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 29% in Riverside, CA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Riverside, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −10.4% moving from Riverside, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($124,085 → $111,119), while prices change by +4.2%. Net effect of the transfer: −14.1% in real buying power.
- Riverside, CA: price level 106.4 (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
| Riverside, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 106.4 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $104,246 in Urban Honolulu | $95,927 in Riverside |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,777/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $5,070 (CA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 29% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $48,400 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Riverside | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 129.3 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 101.4 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 148.6 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 101.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 106.4 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Riverside, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −4.1%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
44 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Riverside, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +4.2%; rent takes 29% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
76 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Riverside, CA is in the Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Riverside, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Riverside, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Riverside → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $71,957 | $64,438 | −14.1% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $87,061 | $77,964 | −14.1% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $104,349 | $93,445 | −14.1% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $124,085 | $111,119 | −14.1% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $146,632 | $131,310 | −14.1% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Riverside, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Riverside dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $98,520 | $73,080 | $70,104 (−28.8%) |
| Software Developers | $133,270 | $120,230 | $115,334 (−13.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $83,920 | $74,990 | $71,936 (−14.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $133,940 | $139,260 | $133,588 (−0.3%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.