Honolulu vs Tacoma
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $479,600 in Tacoma and $843,400 in Honolulu.
- Honolulu has the warmer winter: January highs of 81°F vs 48°F.
- Honolulu has more scorching days: 32 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 4.
- Tacoma is growing faster: +4.6% since 2020 vs -2.6%.
- Commutes are shorter in Honolulu (22 vs 29 minutes each way).
- Washington has no state income tax on wages; Hawaii's top rate is 11%.
Side by side
| Honolulu, HI | Tacoma, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 341,868 | 229,816 |
| Growth since 2020 | -2.6% | +4.6% |
| People per square mile | 5,639 | 4,622 |
| Median age | 43.0 | 37.2 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 35% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $86,504 | $85,884 |
| Median home value | $843,400 | $479,600 |
| Home value to income | 9.7× | 5.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,823 | $1,676 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 111.0 | 111.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 135.5 | 151.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $83,200 | $83,300 |
| Homeowners | 49% | 56% |
| Top state income tax | 11% | None |
| Combined sales tax | 4.5% | 9.57% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.9 | 28.8 |
| Work from home | 10% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 7% | 4% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 4.8% | 5.6% |
| Poverty rate | 11.9% | 12.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 81° / 67° | 48° / 38° |
| July high / low | 88° / 75° | 77° / 57° |
| Precipitation per year | 16 in | 39 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 6 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 32 | 4 |
| Nights below freezing | 0 | 25 |
| Comfortable months | 7 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 98.8 | 98.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 97% | 56% |
| Home prices, past year | +11.1% | +1.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +38.6% | +28.5% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Honolulu: November to May. Tacoma: May to September.
Full monthly tables: Honolulu weather by month and Tacoma weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $83,200 in Honolulu and $83,300 in Tacoma. Moving from Honolulu to Tacoma, you would need about $75,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Honolulu and Tacoma
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Honolulu and Tacoma.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.