Is it ethical to move to Hawaii? (2023)

What are the negatives of living in Hawaii?

Moving to Hawaii ethically is something that is difficult to accomplish. Taking up housing and driving up prices leaves natives struggling. While many realize stopping people from moving to Hawaii all together is impossible, there are still ways to be respectful and try to help the community.

Pros and Cons of Living in Hawaii

Hawaii has a high cost of living. Pro: The mild climate makes Hawaii a year-round destination. Con: It can feel isolating living on an island if you don't embrace it. Pro: Moving to Hawaii is an adventure, and you'll be the envy of everyone you know if you take the dive and do it.

Moving to Hawaii is expensive but it can be a very rewarding place to live. The weather, outdoors life, and sunsets can be remarkable every single day. However, your taxes, housing, and overall cost of living is almost certain to increase if you're moving from most other parts of the country.

Is it Hard to Get a Job in Hawaii? It's virtually impossible to get hired in Hawaii without being there. If you want to be offered a position, you need to be at least in the location (island) where the job posting is. Most applicants would never travel to job interviews in the islands.

Why are so many people leaving the Aloha State? We think it's mostly because of Hawaii's limited opportunities, brought on by high taxes, excessive regulations, unaffordable housing, exorbitant consumer prices and other factors that make up its back-breaking high cost of living.

Beautiful scenery, warm weather, and a laid-back attitude make Hawaii a very tempting retirement option. Retirees who move to Hawaii also benefit from the Aloha State's lower health care costs, state-of-the-art medical system, and retiree-friendly tax laws.

Simply put, life in Hawaii feels simple. All the extraneous stuff is removed so that people can focus on the essential — sunshine, the salty sea, good food, great people and the spirit of Aloha. By and large, people that live in Hawaii aren't as materialistic.

Generally, the lowest housing costs are on the Big Island, which is considered the cheapest Hawaiian island to live on. However, the median household income is $52,000.

How much do you need to live comfortably in Honolulu?

The average income needed to live comfortably in Hawaii, based on the expenses outlined above, is $122,000 for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 children). In this scenario, each adult would need to consistently earn at an hourly rate of $17.70.

Hawaii's quality of life reflects the advantages of the state's climate, health, recreation and cultural opportunities. Hawaii is consistently rated as one of the best states to live in when criteria include environmental factors, low crime incidence, quality of education, and longevity.

Hawaii is an expensive place to live. According to Numbeo, a family of four pays around $5,00 a month without rent in Hawaii. A single person pays around $1,400 a month without rent in Hawaii.

Amazon has purchased land in Honolulu to develop a distribution center. Hawaii's Weather Station–Visit KHON's hurricane preparation page here. Amazon now owns the 14-acre stretch of land on Auiki Street, and it's worth more than $76 million.

Hawaii's current cost of living index is 168.9, higher than the national average, making Hawaii the most expensive state to live in in the United States. When compared to San Francisco, for example, the median home cost is 95% more expensive in Hawaii.

If you're just looking at the sheer number of incidents on each island, Kauai is the safest island to live on. In 2020, the Kauai Police Department reported the lowest number of violent crime incidents and property crime incidents of any of the four major islands.

1. Wailea. Wailea has a population of over 6,000 people and a violent crime rate of just 83 per 100,000 population with no recorded homicides in 2020. It also has a low property crime rate of 784 per 100,000 people making it the safest city in Hawaii according to statistics.

Kahala - Located on the eastern end of Diamond Head, this iconic elite neighborhood has some of the most expensive real estate on the entire island--think opulent mansions and oceanfront properties with unobstructed views.

Are people friendly in Hawaii?

1) The Aloha spirit is strong, which means that people from Hawaii are always willing to offer friendship and assistance when needed. 2) According to a national well-being survey, Hawaii is the least stressed state in the states - naturally, everyone has a little more patience and empathy.

Race and ethnicity (White alone 61.6%; Black alone 12.4%; Hispanic 18.7%; Asian alone 6%; American Indian and Alaska Native alone 1.1%; Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone 0.2%; Some Other Race alone 8.4%; Two or More Races 10.2%).

There doesn't seem to be too many people moving to Hawaii – any of the islands, though some islands have doubled in population growth since 1980. That was 33 years ago, and their populations were not high back then.

1. Panama. Not for the first time, Panama tops the list of the world's best places to retire. Located away from Central America's hurricane belt, its warm tropical climate is tempered by breezes from the Pacific Ocean on one coast and the Caribbean Sea on the other.

Hawaii is moderately tax-friendly toward retirees. Social Security income is not taxed. Withdrawals from retirement accounts are fully taxed. Wages are taxed at normal rates, and your marginal state tax rate is 5.90%.