City comparison
Roanoke, VA 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 18.5% higher than in Roanoke, VA. Someone earning $100,000 in Roanoke, VA would need about $118,500 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 $1,053 in Roanoke, VA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 17% in Roanoke, VA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $1,134 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Roanoke, VA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Roanoke, VA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +18.5%. Net effect of the transfer: −11.9% in real buying power.
- Roanoke, VA: price level 93.6 (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
| Roanoke, VA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,525 in Urban Honolulu | $84,370 in Roanoke |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,053/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $74,244 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $4,936 (VA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 17% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $47,140 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Roanoke, VA HUD Metro FMR Area and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Roanoke, VA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Roanoke | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 78.5 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 96.8 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 88.9 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 98.6 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Roanoke, VA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.6%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$1,134/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Roanoke, VA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.5%; rent takes 17% of take-home; state tax −$1,134/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Roanoke, VA 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 Roanoke, VA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Roanoke, VA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Roanoke → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −11.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −11.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −11.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −11.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −11.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Roanoke, VA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Roanoke dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $62,010 | $73,080 | $61,658 (−0.6%) |
| Software Developers | $121,110 | $120,230 | $101,438 (−16.2%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $77,240 | $74,990 | $63,269 (−18.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $80,090 | $139,260 | $117,494 (+46.7%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.