Moving to Hawaii

Quick facts

Hawaii's most consequential 2026 facts run in genuinely opposite directions on nearly every measure, and this record discloses that honestly rather than picking one story. On the cost side: a real, current, 12-bracket individual income tax topping out at 11% (tied with California for the nation's highest top rate), a genuinely unmatched cost of living (an index of approximately 193, nearly double the national baseline -- the highest of any US state, not close), and statewide home values running roughly 2.5-3x the national baseline by any measure ($837,000-$1,045,000 depending on source). On the favorable side, disclosed with equal honesty: the nation's LOWEST effective property tax rate (approximately 0.27%, though this record does not let that headline obscure a real, substantial median dollar bill of approximately $2,385/year driven by Hawaii's high home values), the nation's cheapest average homeowners-insurance premiums (roughly 67% below the national average, with a real caveat that separate flood/earthquake/lava-zone coverage often adds to that), a genuinely low 4.5% combined General Excise Tax rate (which this record discloses precisely is NOT a sales tax and carries a broader tax base than one), and a real, standout #1-nationally US News Healthcare ranking (within a more middling #28-overall national ranking). Hawaii's economy blends real, dominant tourism (9.64 million visitors in 2025, still below its 2019 peak), a substantial military presence (~$15B/year, ~102,000 jobs, anchored by Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Schofield Barracks), and diversified agriculture, alongside a real unemployment rate of approximately 2.2% (Q1 2026). Hawaii's population is genuinely, if modestly, declining (down 0.15% year-over-year, 1.5% since 2020), driven by net out-migration tied directly to cost-of-living pressures, with a real, aging population (median age 42.1, 22.6% aged 65+). Hawaii's hazard profile is genuinely unlike any mainland state's: the Big Island's Kilauea volcano carries REAL, ONGOING eruptive activity as of this pass's research (paused between episodes as of late August 2026, with a further episode likely), real statewide tsunami risk, real but comparatively infrequent hurricane exposure, and the real, still-unfolding recovery from Maui's catastrophic August 2023 Lahaina wildfire (approximately 82% of lost housing units on a path to rebuilding three years on, with the historic commercial core still substantially incomplete). Hawaii is genuinely NOT one market: Oahu's urban, military-, and jobs-anchored dominance; Maui's dual tourism-and-recovery identity; the Big Island's more affordable volcanic/agricultural character; Kauai's strictly limited development; and Molokai's and Lanai's distinct, small-scale identities are each detailed in metrics.regions. Hawaii carries a real, decisively Democratic political identity: Governor Josh Green (in office since December 2022) is seeking a second term in a November 2026 election rated Safe/Solid D as of this pass, and Harris carried Hawaii by 23.11 points in 2024.

Explore Hawaii in depth

• Moving to Hawaii
• Cost of Living in Hawaii
• Housing Market in Hawaii
• Buying a Home in Hawaii
• Renting in Hawaii
• Property Taxes in Hawaii
• Income Taxes in Hawaii
• Sales Tax in Hawaii
• Homeowners Insurance in Hawaii
• Flood & Hurricane Risk in Hawaii
• Hurricane Preparedness in Hawaii
• Climate & Weather in Hawaii
• Jobs & Economy in Hawaii
• Schools in Hawaii
• Colleges & Universities in Hawaii
• Crime & Safety in Hawaii
• Healthcare in Hawaii
• Traffic & Transportation in Hawaii
• Airports & Getting Around Hawaii
• Best Places to Live in Hawaii
• Best Places to Retire in Hawaii
• A Guide to Hawaii's Regions
• Pros and Cons of Living in Hawaii
• Who Should Move to Hawaii?
• Who Should NOT Move to Hawaii?
• Retiring in Hawaii
• Retirement Communities in Hawaii
• Living in Hawaii for Families
• Living in Hawaii for Remote Workers
• Hawaii for College Students
• Snowbird Living in Hawaii
• Military Relocation to Hawaii
• Beaches & Coastal Living in Hawaii
• Utilities & Everyday Costs in Hawaii

The tradeoffs

Taxes

Hawaii's top state income tax rate is 11.00% (ustax.tools, "Hawaii Tax Brackets 2026 -- 1.4%-11% Single & MFJ"; LevyIO, "Hawaii Income Tax 2026: 12 Brackets, 11% Top Rate"; countrytaxcalc.com, "Hawaii Tax Guide 2026: 11% Income Tax, 4% General Excise Tax, and High Cost of Living"; gettaxcalculator.com, "Hawaii Tax Calculator & Rates 2026: 12-Bracket Structure, 1.4%-11%, GET Not Sales Tax"). The statewide average effective property tax rate is 0.27%, though this varies significantly by county -- from 0.26% to 0.95%. The median annual property tax bill statewide is $2,385.

Insurance

Hawaii's homeowners insurance runs genuinely, substantially the cheapest in the nation on a standard-policy basis -- a real, disclosed $801-$1,724/year statewide spread depending on coverage assumptions, roughly 67% below the national average by one measure. A prospective mover should still confirm current quotes AND separate flood/earthquake/lava-zone coverage needs directly for any target property, given the real, documented volcanic, tsunami, and hurricane exposure detailed in metrics.hazards that a standard homeowners policy commonly does not cover.

Major cities we've researched in Hawaii

• Honolulu -- Best fits movers whose specific priorities align with Honolulu's real strengths -- a military-connected career or PCS move tied to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, a strong preference for year-round warm weather and beach access, genuinely low crime and unemployment, or the financial capacity to absorb genuinely extreme housing and cost-of-living figures in exchange for those real advantages -- and who take the city's real, honestly-disclosed challenges (extreme cost of living and housing prices, a high top income tax rate, and among the worst traffic congestion in the entire country) seriously enough to budget and plan around them directly before committing to a move.
• Lihue -- Best fits movers whose specific priorities align with Lihue's real strengths -- a genuinely low property-tax rate (with real age-tiered exemptions for retirees), a tight local job market anchored in county government, airport operations, and tourism, a strong local hospital anchor, and Kauai's genuinely low-rise, uncrowded island character -- and who take the island's real, honestly-disclosed challenges (a small and declining population base, genuinely high housing costs and cost of living, Lihue's own less-favorable overall-crime standing within Hawaii, and real, documented hurricane and tsunami risk) seriously enough to research current, address-specific data directly before committing to a specific Lihue property.
• Kailua -- Best fits movers whose specific priorities align with Kailua's real strengths -- a stable, affluent, owner-occupied beach-town lifestyle, above-median Hawaii public schools, world-class beach access, a lower-than-national crime rate, or a military-family PCS to Marine Corps Base Hawaii -- and who can genuinely absorb Kailua's extreme housing and rental costs (roughly 2.6x-3.7x the national median home price) and Hawaii's high state income tax, while taking the area's real, disclosed commuting friction, flood/tsunami/hurricane hazard profile, and Lanikai overtourism/parking realities seriously enough to research current, address-specific data directly before committing to a specific Kailua property.
• Kailua-Kona -- Best fits movers whose specific priorities align with Kailua-Kona's real strengths -- retirees drawn to Hawaii's real Social Security and employer-pension tax exemptions and the town's already-substantial senior population, warm-weather and beach-focused buyers, luxury buyers comfortable with genuinely high home prices, and those with a career or business tied to tourism, hospitality, or Kona-coffee agriculture -- and who take the market's real, honestly-disclosed challenges (genuinely high housing costs and state income tax, an above-national crime rate, limited local hospital capacity, and a real, multi-layered volcanic/wildfire/tsunami hazard profile) seriously enough to research current, address-specific data directly before committing to a specific Kailua-Kona property.
• Kahului -- Best fits movers whose specific priorities align with Kahului's real strengths -- a practical, working, non-resort Maui base with genuinely low property tax, genuinely low unemployment, direct airport access, and Maui's main retail/commercial infrastructure -- and who take the town's real, honestly-disclosed challenges (genuinely expensive housing and insurance by national standards, a real structural wildfire-fuel risk on nearby fallow land, and a real, disclosed tension in the crime data) seriously enough to research current, address-specific data directly before committing to a specific Kahului property.
• Kaneohe -- Best fits military families and service members affiliated with Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and buyers prioritizing windward Oahu's mountain-and-bay natural setting and outdoor recreation over the shortest possible commute to downtown Honolulu.
• Pearl City -- Best fits military families and civilian-contractor households affiliated with Pearl Harbor and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and families prioritizing Pearl City High School's cited academic reputation.
• Kapolei -- Best fits families and first-time homebuyers seeking some of Oahu's larger, newer, comparatively more affordable homes, and buyers who want a genuine secondary city center (government, retail, healthcare, education all locally present) rather than a bedroom community wholly dependent on Honolulu.
• Mililani -- Best fits families prioritizing a real, cited standout-safe crime record and highly rated schools, and military-affiliated households working at Schofield Barracks or Wheeler Army Airfield seeking a comparatively short commute.
• Ewa Beach -- Best fits military families and workers connected to Pearl Harbor/Kapolei, families seeking genuinely newer, master-planned West Oahu housing at a relative discount to Honolulu/Kailua/Hawaii Kai, and movers who can make good use of the new HART Skyline rail connection while accepting real, ongoing car-dependence for most other trips.
• Waipahu -- Best fits movers prioritizing genuine transit access (HART Skyline's Waipahu Transit Center), families drawn to Waipahu's diverse community character and above-average-rated high school, and value-focused buyers who can make sense of Waipahu's real, disclosed recent price volatility.
• Hawaii Kai -- Best fits retirees and affluent families drawn to Hawaii Kai's real, stable, low-crime, beach-adjacent character and genuine planned-community amenities, and buyers who can absorb Hawaii Kai's genuinely high housing costs and accept real, ongoing car-dependence for daily commuting given the absence of rail access.
• Aiea -- Best fits families and military households connected to Pearl Harbor/Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, movers prioritizing direct local hospital access (Pali Momi) and dual HART Skyline connectivity, and retirees seeking an established, elevated, view-oriented central-Oahu community.
• Hilo -- Best fits movers seeking the Big Island's most accessible, working, non-resort town -- those drawn to government, university, agricultural, or astronomy-adjacent employment, and those prioritizing housing affordability (relative to the rest of Hawaii) over a dry, sunny, resort-town climate.
• Waimea (Kamuela) -- Best fits retirees and movers seeking a genuinely distinct, cooler, drier, small-town Hawaii lifestyle centered on ranching, outdoor recreation, and a real astronomy/science-sector community, who can afford Waimea's genuinely elevated housing costs.
• Wailuku -- Best fits movers whose priorities align with Wailuku's real strengths -- direct proximity to Maui's main hospital, stable county-government employment, and a historic, revitalizing small-town commercial core -- who take the town's real, honestly-disclosed housing-price volatility and elevated insurance costs seriously enough to research current, address-specific data directly.
• Lahaina -- This record does not offer a standard 'best fits' audience list for Lahaina, given the real, ongoing, disaster-recovery context described throughout. The people for whom Lahaina is currently most relevant are fire survivors and their families actively engaged in the town's own rebuild, and those with a direct, informed, personal stake in West Maui's recovery who are independently, currently tracking the real, specific, address-level status of their own situation -- not general relocation movers evaluating Lahaina as one option among many Hawaii markets.
• Kihei -- Best fits retirees and beach-lovers drawn to South Maui's real, warm, coastal lifestyle and Hawaii's lowest-in-the-nation effective property tax rate, alongside luxury and second-home buyers comfortable with genuinely elevated (if currently softening) prices.
• Wailea -- Best fits luxury buyers, retirees, and golf enthusiasts drawn to Wailea's real, genuinely upscale, resort-paced South Maui lifestyle and comfortable with multi-million-dollar entry costs.
• Kapaa -- Best fits movers seeking Kauai's genuinely more local, historic, and (relatively) affordable character, families drawn to Kapaa's real, direct local school and healthcare access, and beach-lovers wanting central-island convenience.
• Princeville -- Best fits luxury buyers, golf enthusiasts, and retirees drawn to Princeville's real, genuinely scenic, purpose-built North Shore resort setting and comfortable with its real, disclosed geographic isolation risk.
• Wahiawa -- Best fits military families connected to Schofield Barracks or Wheeler Army Airfield, and budget-conscious movers drawn to Wahiawa's genuinely lower rent relative to most of Oahu, who can accept the real, disclosed trade-offs in local crime and dam-failure flood risk.
• Waianae -- Best fits budget-conscious buyers drawn to Waianae's genuinely lower cited home values relative to Hawaii's statewide average and beach-access lifestyle, who go in with full, honest awareness of the area's real, disclosed income, crime, and wildfire-risk challenges rather than an idealized picture.
• Haleiwa -- Best fits retirees and affluent buyers drawn to Haleiwa's genuine surf-town character, older established community, and direct North Shore beach access, who can absorb the town's genuinely extreme housing costs and accept a real, disclosed healthcare-access drive to Wahiawa General Hospital.
• Waimanalo -- Best fits beach-oriented buyers and renters drawn to Waimanalo's genuine rural, windward-coast character and significant Native Hawaiian cultural presence, who can accept the community's real, disclosed elevated crime rate and limited on-site hospital access.
• Laie -- Best fits movers connected to BYU-Hawaii or the Polynesian Cultural Center specifically, young professionals and students drawn to Laie's genuinely distinctive, international, university-town character, and beach-access seekers who can absorb Laie's genuinely extreme, disclosed housing costs.
• Waikoloa -- Best fits movers seeking a dry, sunny, resort-adjacent Big Island lifestyle with genuinely favorable local crime data and lower disclosed volcanic-hazard exposure than the island's east side, particularly those who can afford Waikoloa's genuinely elevated housing costs or who work in or near the Kohala Coast's hospitality sector.
• Pahoa -- Best fits movers prioritizing housing affordability above nearly all other Hawaii markets and drawn to lower Puna's genuinely distinctive, alternative-lifestyle rural community character, including retirees weighing Pahoa's genuinely low cost of entry against its real, disclosed hazard and safety trade-offs.
• Volcano -- Best fits retirees and movers genuinely drawn to a quiet, cool, forested, arts-and-nature-oriented community directly adjacent to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, who explicitly accept and have researched the real, disclosed, ongoing volcanic-hazard proximity this record discloses honestly rather than softening.
• Captain Cook -- Best fits retirees and movers genuinely drawn to South Kona's rural, historic coffee-country character and favorable proximity to Kailua-Kona's broader amenities and Kona Community Hospital, who can afford Captain Cook's genuinely elevated housing costs and have weighed its real, disclosed Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2 status directly.
• Holualoa -- Best fits retirees and luxury-oriented buyers genuinely drawn to a distinctive artist-community, upcountry Kona-coffee-belt lifestyle with convenient proximity to Kailua-Kona's broader amenities and healthcare, who can afford Holualoa's genuinely elevated housing costs and have weighed its real, disclosed Lava Flow Hazard Zone 2 status directly.
• Honokaa -- Best fits retirees and movers genuinely drawn to Honokaa's historic Hamakua Coast character, Waipio Valley gateway setting, and genuinely lower direct lava-flow-hazard exposure relative to other Big Island markets, who accept the town's real, disclosed rural distance from full-service healthcare and its own real data-vintage limitations.
• Makawao -- Best fits movers drawn to Upcountry Maui's cooler climate, mountain access, and a genuine small-town arts/ranching community, and buyers with the means for Makawao's genuinely high-end, thin luxury housing stock.
• Paia -- Best fits movers drawn to Paia's genuine surf/windsurf beach-town identity, outdoor-recreation-focused lifestyles, and a small, walkable North Shore community, especially those less price-sensitive given the town's genuinely high housing costs.
• Pukalani -- Best fits families drawn to King Kekaulike High School's presence in Pukalani itself and Upcountry Maui's cooler climate and mountain access, and movers seeking a more conventional, suburban residential community than neighboring Makawao's own arts-town character.
• Kaanapali -- Best fits retirees and second-home/vacation-property buyers drawn to Kaanapali's real, world-class beach-resort setting and its confirmed, verified distance from the 2023 Lahaina fire's own burn area, who can absorb the area's genuinely high resort-classified property tax rate and vacation-rental-oriented housing market.
• Koloa -- Best fits luxury buyers and warm-weather/beach-focused movers drawn to Koloa's real, distinct blend of historic-plantation-town character and South Shore resort convenience, comfortable with Hawaii's real cost-of-living and Kauai's disclosed hurricane exposure.
• Poipu -- Best fits retirees, luxury buyers, and warm-weather/beach-focused movers drawn to Poipu's real, genuinely premier South Shore resort setting and comfortable with its real, disclosed historical hurricane exposure and healthcare-access gap.
• Hanalei -- Best fits retirees, luxury buyers, and warm-weather/beach-focused movers drawn to Hanalei's real, genuinely distinctive taro-valley and beach-town character, and who are prepared to accept -- not merely acknowledge -- the real, demonstrated, recurring risk that a flood or landslide event can isolate the entire North Shore for an extended period, as it did in 2018 and again in 2026.
• Kahuku -- Best fits movers drawn to a genuinely small, rural North Shore setting with real surf/beach access and a distinctive local food culture, comfortable confirming current housing prices directly given this record's own disclosed data volatility, and accepting Hawaii's genuinely high statewide cost of living and income tax.
• Nanakuli -- Best fits Native Hawaiian beneficiaries eligible for a DHHL homestead lease, and movers genuinely prioritizing housing affordability relative to Oahu-wide prices, real Leeward Coast beach access, and a strong sense of community and cultural history, while approaching this record's own disclosed economic-hardship figures honestly rather than assuming Nanakuli's low prices alone tell the full story.
• Naalehu -- Best fits budget-conscious movers prioritizing genuinely affordable Big Island housing and comfortable with a very small, rural, car-dependent southern Kau-district town with limited nearby services.
• Ocean View -- Best fits budget-conscious movers prioritizing genuinely low Big Island housing costs, comfortable managing their own water-catchment system, confirming lava-hazard-zone status directly, and accepting a real, substantial drive to full-service towns.
• Haiku -- Best fits remote workers and lifestyle-driven buyers with substantial resources who want a genuinely rural, agricultural North Shore Maui setting near world-class surf, and who can absorb genuinely high home prices even relative to Hawaii's own extreme statewide baseline.
• Kula -- Best fits mountain- and climate-motivated buyers with substantial resources who want Upcountry Maui's genuinely cooler elevation and agricultural-lifestyle character, and who confirm current wildfire-risk, insurance, and rebuild status directly given Kula's real, disclosed 2023 fire history.
• Hana -- Best fits movers seeking genuine small-town remoteness who can work independent of a large local job market, who need only limited routine healthcare access, and who approach Hana's established Native Hawaiian community with genuine respect for its distinct identity.
• Waimea (Kauai) -- Best fits movers drawn to a genuinely small, historic, outdoor-recreation-oriented west Kauai town -- especially those prioritizing proximity to Waimea Canyon and Koke'e -- who can afford Hawaii's genuinely elevated housing costs and are comfortable with a car-dependent, distance-from-jobs west-side lifestyle.
• Hanapepe -- Best fits movers drawn to a genuinely small, artistic, historic west Kauai town -- especially those valuing a working arts community over a resort-town feel -- who can afford Hawaii's genuinely elevated housing costs and are comfortable with a car-dependent, distance-from-jobs west-side lifestyle.
• Kaunakakai -- Best fits movers genuinely seeking Molokai's deliberately unhurried, community-first, 'most Hawaiian island' way of life and its real, unusual housing affordability, who are comfortable with a genuinely narrow local job market, limited air/medical access, and a slower, less tourism-oriented pace than any other Hawaii market in this dataset.
• Lanai City -- Best fits movers seeking a genuinely small, distinctive, resort-adjacent Hawaii town who are comfortable with -- and ideally professionally or financially connected to -- Lanai's real, defining single-employer economic structure, and who value Lanai's real, cooler upcountry microclimate and low calculated property tax rate.