City comparison
Scranton, PA 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 18.6% higher than in Scranton, PA. Someone earning $100,000 in Scranton, PA would need about $118,600 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 $1,028 in Scranton, PA. On $100,000, that's 33% of take-home pay in Urban Honolulu, HI and 16% in Scranton, PA.
- On $100,000, estimated state income tax is about $3,000 a year higher in Urban Honolulu, HI than in Scranton, PA.
- For federal employees, locality pay changes a GS-13 step 1 salary by +4.4% moving from Scranton, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI ($106,437 → $111,119), while prices change by +18.6%. Net effect of the transfer: −12.0% in real buying power.
- Scranton, PA: 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
| Scranton, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | |
|---|---|---|
| Price level (U.S. = 100)2 | 93.6 | 111.0 |
| $100,000 is worth, in the other city2 | $118,604 in Urban Honolulu | $84,314 in Scranton |
| Typical 1-bedroom rent3 | $1,028/mo | $2,016/mo |
| Take-home on $100,00014,15,8 | $76,110 | $73,110 |
| State income tax on $100,000 (estimate)8 | $3,070 (PA) | $6,070 (HI) |
| Rent burden on $100,000 | 16% | 33% |
| Median pay, all jobs4 | $46,330 | $57,220 |
| Federal locality pay area7 | Rest of U.S. | State of Hawaii |
Rent areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA MSA and Urban Honolulu, HI MSA. Metro areas: Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA and Urban Honolulu, HI.
What costs more or less
| Price level (U.S. = 100) | Scranton | Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (rent) | 67.0 | 135.5 |
| Goods | 100.7 | 111.6 |
| Utilities | 106.5 | 187.3 |
| Other services | 97.7 | 102.9 |
| Overall | 93.6 | 111.0 |
Moving with the same $100,000 salary
Scranton, PA → Urban Honolulu, HI
Same pay buys less
Buying power −15.7%; rent takes 33% of take-home; state tax +$3,000/yr.
25 Weak offer
Urban Honolulu, HI → Scranton, PA
Same pay goes further
Buying power +18.6%; rent takes 16% of take-home; state tax −$3,000/yr.
100 Strong offer
On the GS pay scale?
Scranton, PA 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 Scranton, PA to Urban Honolulu, HI at the same grade and step does to real buying power.
| Grade5,2 | Scranton, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Real change, Scranton → Urban Honolulu |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-9 step 1 | $61,722 | $64,438 | −12.0% |
| GS-11 step 1 | $74,678 | $77,964 | −12.0% |
| GS-12 step 1 | $89,508 | $93,445 | −12.0% |
| GS-13 step 1 | $106,437 | $111,119 | −12.0% |
| GS-14 step 1 | $125,776 | $131,310 | −12.0% |
Pay for common jobs
| Median annual pay4 | Scranton, PA | Urban Honolulu, HI | Urban Honolulu pay in Scranton dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | $76,590 | $73,080 | $61,617 (−19.5%) |
| Software Developers | $119,960 | $120,230 | $101,371 (−15.5%) |
| Accountants and Auditors | $70,480 | $74,990 | $63,227 (−10.3%) |
| Registered Nurses | $82,650 | $139,260 | $117,416 (+42.1%) |
"Not published" means BLS doesn't release an estimate for that job in that metro.