City comparison
Santa Rosa, 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 2.9% higher than in Santa Rosa, CA. Someone earning $100,000 in Santa Rosa, CA would need about $102,900 in Urban Honolulu, HI to live the same way.
- Rent differs too: a typical 1-bedroom costs $2,155 a month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,016 in Urban Honolulu, HI. On $100,000, that's 35% of take-home pay in Santa Rosa, CA and 33% in Urban Honolulu, HI.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $999 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Santa Rosa, CA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by −16.5% moving from Santa Rosa, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($133,060 → $111,119), while prices change by +2.9%. Net effect of the transfer: −18.9% in real buying power.
- Santa Rosa, CA: price level 107.8 (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
| Santa Rosa, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 107.8 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $102,948 in Urban Honolulu | $97,137 in Santa Rosa |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $2,155/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 | 35% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $56,850 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Santa Rosa | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 139.6 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 105.2 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 154.8 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 100.3 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 107.8 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Santa Rosa, CA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −2.9%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$999/yr.
48 Fair offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Santa Rosa, CA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +2.9%; rent takes 35% of take-home; state tax −$999/yr.
63 Fair offer
On the GS pay scale?
Santa Rosa, CA is in the San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA pay area; Urban Honolulu, HI is in State of Hawaii. The last column shows what a transfer from Santa Rosa, CA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Santa Rosa, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Santa Rosa → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $77,161 | $64,438 | −18.9% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $93,358 | $77,964 | −18.9% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $111,896 | $93,445 | −18.9% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $133,060 | $111,119 | −18.9% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $157,236 | $131,310 | −18.9% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Santa Rosa, CA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Santa Rosa dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $99,060 | $73,080 | $70,988 (−28.3%) |
| Software Developers | $148,630 | $120,230 | $116,788 (−21.4%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $94,690 | $74,990 | $72,843 (−23.1%) |
| Registered Nurses | $174,550 | $139,260 | $135,273 (−22.5%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.