08-10-2022
What are the downsides of living in Hawaii?
President & certified Hawaii travel expert with 15+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
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Almost everyone who visits Hawaii finds that their stay ends up feeling much too short. It’s only natural that such a beautiful and peaceful place would seem like the ideal home to one day live permanently.
However, the truth is often a bit more complex. As with any other place in the world, living in Hawaii comes with tradeoffs. Here is an introduction to some of the most common downsides you’re likely to uncover while living in Hawaii in 2022.
Isolation
Chances are you’ve thought of this one already - but nevertheless we’re here to tell you it is worth serious consideration. It may be more intense than you realize, particularly over a longer period of time.
The Hawaiian Islands are in fact among the most remote in the world. San Francisco, the nearest major city, is roughly 2,300 miles away. Even traveling from one island to the other generally means boarding a flight, let alone traveling anywhere beyond the incredibly small state itself.
Anything that isn’t there with you - friends, family, favorite restaurants, stretches of road that are more than 100 miles long - is at least 5 hours away by plane, and probably further.
Cost
Hawaii is by far the most expensive US state to live in, making it one of the most expensive places to live in human history.
Despite an abundance of glorious local produce, living here full-time means you’ll be unable to avoid needing to buy imported groceries that are significantly more pricey than normal. You’ll also be paying unusually high costs for utilities, gas, and other daily expenses.
If you love ordering items online: for unmistakable reasons, expect to pay more in delivery fees and to wait longer as well. Unsurprisingly, the housing market in Hawaii is also absurdly expensive. The average home price is nearly $1.2 million, roughly 3.6 times the national average. Overall, the whole state has a cost of living index of 196.3, making all of Hawaii comparable to top-price mainland cities like New York City or Los Angeles.
Fitting In
This one is harder to back up with charts and figures, but a near-universal report from non-locals who choose to live long-term in Hawaii is that you will never truly feel like a local.
Hawaii tends to be overall a very welcoming and friendly place, not only in climate but in culture. However, tourism and the continually high presence of “non-locals” has long been something of a controversial topic; all the more so when people choose to stay long-term.
If you move from the continental US to Hawaii, you are technically moving from one US state to another; but that really is mostly a technicality. In a broader sense, you’re moving to a faraway foreign country with its own language, culture, and customs. So, particularly when trying to integrate into local society, whether young, old, at school, at a new job - expect it to feel as such.
Potential Infrastructure Challenges
Depending on how rural an area you choose to live in, you may be faced with some unfamiliar difficulties when it comes to certain aspects of daily life. Hawaiian tap water is some of the cleanest in the US, but that doesn’t mean it is also the most available. There are plenty of more rural areas throughout the islands where you may have to rely on less-than-modern water distribution systems that often rely on rainwater - a somewhat less-than-reliable source (although certain places in Hawaii are among the rainiest on Earth, another potential downside). A similar description could apply to trash collection. Depending on where you choose to live, taking the garbage out could likely mean something a bit more arduous than simply leaving the cans on the curb outside your front door. You may have to simply drive your trash to the dump yourself. Due to a variety of unique collaborating factors such as tropical weather and busy, winding roadways, you may also find yourself sitting in traffic a lot and sometimes being unable to get somewhere due to road closures. Roadwork is an ongoing penalty all first-world residents are forced to pay, but in Hawaii, the penalties are often increased in their intensity and unpredictability.
Living in Hawaii can be a wonderful experience, and many of the reasons why are easy to grasp. What can be much less obvious, however, are the reasons why it might not be wonderful. If you’re up for the challenge of adjusting to a somewhat different way of life, the rewards are massive.
Published by: Tori C. Derrick
President & certified Hawaii travel expert with 15+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
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