Median rent is 21% lower in Urban Honolulu ($1,823/mo vs $2,322/mo). Buying is cheaper in Urban Honolulu, where the median home runs $843,400 versus $895,000. Households earn more in Arlington ($142,114 vs $86,504 a year).
City A
Arlington, VA
City B
Urban Honolulu, HI
How much would you need to earn in Urban Honolulu, HI to maintain your standard of living from Arlington, VA?
A cost-of-living index isn't available for one of these cities yet, so we can't compute an equivalent salary.
Based on BEA Regional Price Parity (cost index) for each metro area. This estimates overall purchasing power; it does not account for taxes or take-home pay differences.
Metric
Arlington
Virginia
Urban Honolulu
Hawaii
Population
Median Household Income
Annual
Median Gross Rent
Per month
Median Home Value
Cost of Living Index
US avg = 100
1BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
2BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
3BR Fair Market Rent
HUD FMR
Air Quality Index
Lower = cleaner
Top State Income Tax
Top marginal rate
State Sales Tax
Statewide base rate
Median Age
Years
✓ = better value · Sources: Census ACS, BEA, HUD Fair Market Rents, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation
Renters will find significantly cheaper housing in Urban Honolulu — median rent of $1,823/mo versus $2,322/mo in Arlington, a 21% difference. Median home values are within 6% of each other: $895,000 in Arlington and $843,400 in Urban Honolulu.
1BR Fair Market Rent
2BR Fair Market Rent
BLS OEWS 2023 — metro-level data
State tax data is not yet available for these cities.
Arlington
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Urban Honolulu
Income tax: N/A
Sales tax: N/A
Urban Honolulu has cleaner air on average: 18.0 AQI (Good) compared to 24.0 AQI (Good) in the other city. Lower AQI means cleaner, healthier air.
Pick Arlington if you prioritize higher median household income ($142,114/yr).
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize cheaper rent ($1,823/mo median).
Pick Urban Honolulu if you prioritize cleaner air quality (avg AQI 18.0).
Is Arlington cheaper than Urban Honolulu?
Cost of living index data is not yet available for one or both cities.
How much is rent in Arlington vs Urban Honolulu?
Median rent is $2,322/mo in Arlington, VA and $1,823/mo in Urban Honolulu, HI. Urban Honolulu, HI has the lower rent by about 21%.
Which has higher salaries — Arlington or Urban Honolulu?
Median household income is $142,114 in Arlington, VA and $86,504 in Urban Honolulu, HI. Arlington, VA has the higher median income. Note that BLS occupational wages in the table above show wages for specific jobs.
Which city has better air quality?
Urban Honolulu, HI has better air quality on average: 18.0 AQI versus 24.0 AQI. Both are EPA AirNow annual averages; lower is better.
Which has lower taxes — Arlington or Urban Honolulu?
State tax data is not yet available for one or both cities.
What salary do I need in Urban Honolulu to match my Arlington income?
RPP data needed for salary equivalence calculation is not yet available.
Data last updated: December 1, 2026 · Sources: US Census ACS, BEA RPP, BLS OEWS, HUD FMR, EPA AirNow, Tax Foundation · Methodology
