Real Dollar Value
California stretches $100 further
A national-average $100 buys about $92.31 of local goods and services in California, compared with $88.13 in Hawaii.
Purchasing Power of $100 Comparison
Income
California vs Hawaii: Purchasing Power of $100
$100 goes further in California: about $92.31 in local buying power versus $88.13 in Hawaii, a $4.18 gap.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for purchasing power of $100.
California
#48 · $92.31
Hawaii
#50 · $88.13
Lowest
Highest
Top 10 States — Purchasing Power of $100
#1
Mississippi
$116.01
Mississippi
#2
Alabama
$114.62
Alabama
#3
Oklahoma
$113.65
Oklahoma
#4
Arkansas
$113.40
Arkansas
#5
Kansas
$113.09
Kansas
#6
West Virginia
$112.73
West Virginia
#7
Missouri
$112.21
Missouri
#8
Iowa
$111.93
Iowa
#9
Tennessee
$111.32
Tennessee
#10
South Dakota
$111.28
South Dakota
Selected states
#48
California
$92.31
California
#50
Hawaii
$88.13
Hawaii
California ranks 48th and Hawaii ranks 50th nationally for purchasing power of $100.
Safety Context
Economic and demographic factors behind the violent crime rate difference.
Safety
BEA Price Index
California has the lower official price level
BEA Regional Price Parity is lower in California (113.4) than in Hawaii (119.3), which is why the same cash buys more there.
View detailed comparisonIncome Check
Hawaii has the higher median income
Purchasing power does not replace income. Hawaii has a median household income of $88,005, versus $84,097 in California.
View detailed comparisonLiving Costs
California also looks cheaper on the cost index
California's cost-of-living index is 138.5, compared with 186.8 in the other state.
View detailed comparisonRelated Pages
What This Means
California vs Hawaii: Purchasing Power of $100 in context
California has a purchasing power of $100 of $92.31, compared with $88.13 in Hawaii. Real local value of $100 after adjusting for BEA Regional Price Parities.
California
$92.31
Hawaii
$88.13
Difference
$4
People Also Ask
California vs Hawaii Purchasing Power of $100 — Common Questions
Q What is California's purchasing power of $100?
California's purchasing power of $100 is $92.31.
Q What is Hawaii's purchasing power of $100?
Hawaii's purchasing power of $100 is $88.13.
Q Which state has a higher purchasing power of $100 — California or Hawaii?
$100 goes further in California: about $92.31 in local buying power versus $88.13 in Hawaii, a $4.18 gap.
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Sources: Core demographic data comes from the 2020 U.S. Census, with land area from U.S. Census Bureau TIGER files. Income, housing, affordability, and tax fields are maintained in our comparison dataset; purchasing-power figures use BEA Regional Price Parities. Minimum wage data comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, gas prices from AAA, and electricity rates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Political control and election fields use 2024 presidential results together with National Conference of State Legislatures data. Gun-law labels use the Giffords scorecard, alcohol system data comes from NABCA, and marijuana status uses NCSL's state cannabis laws tracker.