Planning a Move to Hawaii

September 2020 Update: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, regulations for entry into Hawaii have changed. Because moving is considered essential business, you can still enter Hawaii, but you may be required to quarantine when you arrive. Learn more about current travel programs and guidance.

There’s a never-ending list of reasons to move to Hawaii. Beautiful sights, tropical weather, unique things to do and amazing culture, just to name a few. Relocating to Hawaii will provide you and your family with a change of pace, whether you’re moving for work, school or just a new adventure. Use this guide to explore everything you need to know when planning a move to the islands:

Cost of Living

Hawaii is known for a high cost of living, with some sources stating that it’s more than 60% higher than the national average. For comparison, New York City is 120% higher than the national average. Of course, it depends on the city, with Hilo having a cheaper cost of living than more metropolitan Honolulu. The higher costs come from a variety of things: the scarcity of real estate, the cost of importing goods and the difficulty in generating utilities. 

Working in Hawaii

The Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism did a comparison of wages in Hawaii with the rest of the U.S. They reported the median family income for 2017 to be $72,133, which was higher than the national average of $59,039. The biggest industries in Hawaii are government, hospitality, transportation and utilities, food service, education and health, and business services. To find jobs before moving, look at online job boards, check local news classifieds and the Department of Human Resources Development page. 

Education 

Where you live will determine the educational options. Many areas have both public and private options for school-aged kids, and homeschooling is always an option as well. Hawaii has one of the highest rates of private school attendance, so if you desire a private education, consider location when searching for a house. For higher education, there are community colleges, universities and graduate schools. Some of the more well-known universities are the University of Hawaii (with 8 campuses across the islands), Brigham Young University and Hawaii Pacific University. 

Shopping

Buying things in Hawaii can be a one-of-a-kind experience. There are department stores and name brands like you’ll find in traditional shopping centers across the United States, but you may have to travel to one of the bigger cities like Honolulu, Hilo or Kahului. Most communities have some sort of grocery store and clothing stores, so items are easily obtainable, but the selection may be limited. Prices for everything from clothing to food will likely be higher than what you’re used to on the mainland since most everything has to be shipped in. 

Best things about Hawaii

If you ask locals what their favorite parts of Hawaiian life are, you might hear one of these things:

• Food. Hawaii is known for some traditional foods like ahi tuna poke (a raw salmon salad), lomi lomi salmon (tomato and salmon salad), kalua pork (slow cooked pork, traditionally cooked underground) and poi (a taro paste). You’ll also quickly learn that the locals love SPAM, a canned meat that’s so popular stores often have a purchase limit. 
• Outdoors. Whether you like to hike, surf, swim, fish, or just lay in a hammock, the abundant sunshine and temperate weather make it easy to be outside year-round. 
• Culture. Hawaii has its own dance, cuisine, music and festivals that create a unique culture. It honoring a real heritage with hula dance, luaus and traditions like gifting a flower lei. Hawaiians celebrate holidays you may not be familiar with, such as Girls’ Day and Chinese New Year.  
• The remoteness. There are plenty of wide open spaces in Hawaii. You can find peace and quiet in a secluded beach, on an empty mountain trail or by seeing the stars in an endless sky.
• The Hawaiian language. After moving to Hawaii, you’ll inevitably pick up the local language. You’ll hear it on local TV, at the coffee shop and read it on signs and menus across town. Hawaiian takes into account many local things, including having over 200 words for rain! Pidgin is the local slang, which many speak as well.

Weather

The weather deserves its own discussion because it’s so different. Minor temperature changes throughout the year lead to really only two seasons: Summer (May to October) and Winter (November to April), marked more by wind and precipitation than temperature changes. In fact, the temperatures are so consistent that average highs from month to month go from 79 in January to 82 in July. 

Precipitation totals vary based on location — some areas are rainforests while others are deserts. It does occasionally snow on the highest points of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island, or on Haleakala on Maui.

Significant weather events, like hurricanes, tropical storms or volcano eruptions, do occasionally happen, so it’s important to have an emergency plan in place. 

Explore the islands

Hawaii is an archipelago made of 137 small islands (called islets), atolls (coral reefs) and eight major islands. Kahoolawe is the only major island that’s uninhabited. The other islands have their own personality and selling points for those wanting to move to Hawaii. Take a more in-depth look at what each Hawaiian island offers. 

Hawaii

Also referred to as the Big Island for its size of 4,028 square miles, Hawaii offers a mix of communities and more remote areas. Stick to the city areas for amenities like home postal service and trash pickup, or venture to the quieter areas for a different lifestyle. Explore local sights like Maunaloa Volcanoes, Kau Desert, Puna Fern Forest, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and Kealakekua Bay. 

Maui

The Valley Isle is known for lush flora. It’s the second-largest island at 727 square miles and is known for a mix of tourism and smaller communities. Maui is home to mountain ranges including Haleakala, the largest dormant volcano crater in the world. It even snows on top of the mountain, so you don’t have to forgo winter wonderlands after moving.

Oahu

As the most-populated island and home to the state capital, Honolulu, Oahu is known as The Gathering Place. Because it’s most visited by tourists, it’s the most commercialized and developed. However, that growth doesn’t mean losing the Hawaiian beauty. There are still gorgeous sights, rainforest areas and beaches to explore.

Kauai

Known as the Garden Isle, Kauai’s signature is the beautiful waterfalls tucked into gorgeous greenery. It’s the fourth largest island at 562 miles and is not as densely populated as Maui. Find adventure hiking Kalalau Trail, a 22-mile roundtrip quest offering breathtaking vistas, secluded beaches and amazing views.

Molokai

Best known for agriculture and ranching, Molokai is known as The Friendly Isle. It’s a quieter destination with no traffic lights and very little traffic. The island showcases local culture with ancient fishponds made of lava rock walls and the Ka Hula Piko, a celebration of the birth of Hula.

Lanai

The smallest of the openly inhabited islands at just 140 square miles, Lanai is a haven for tranquility. It used to be a pineapple plantation, giving it the nickname of the Pineapple Isle, but is now a charming smaller community. You’ll find some tourists at the local resorts, but it will mostly feel like there’s an outdoor paradise at your fingertips. Explore back roads for off-the-beaten-path sights or relax on a serene beach.

Niihau

This one is pretty much out of the running for moving to Hawaii — it’s privately owned by the Robinsons (descendants of the title-holding Sinclair family), and it’s only accessible by native Hiihauans, hence the nickname of The Forbidden Isle.