High cost of living continues to drive more Native Hawaiians out of the state (2024)

FAQs

Why are Native Hawaiians leaving Hawaii? ›

Unlike city dwellers priced out to the suburbs, native Hawaiians aren't just leaving their homes. They are also leaving their home land as rampant development, an influx of mainlanders moving to the state, and growing tourism price them out of the islands. Some families are even torn apart by the decision to move.

One simple reason why Las Vegas seems so much like the sublime Hawaiian islands is that so many Hawaiians have already settled there. The Las Vegas Review-Journal cites the lower cost of living and the similar service-based economy as the main attractions for native Hawaiians.

Yes, Hawaii is known for its high cost of living due to factors such as housing, groceries, utilities, and transportation. What salary do you need to survive in Hawaii? To survive in Hawaii, a single person may need a salary of around $50,000 to $60,000, while a family may require $80,000 to $100,000.

Last year, Hawaii ranked fifth in the nation for the biggest decline by total population, behind West Virginia, Louisiana and Illinois, and New York. Ex-residents said they were relocating from the Islands due to several reasons, including the high cost of living and lack of affordable housing.

Cultural Appropriation: Hawaii has a rich & unique culture, & some tourists may not show proper respect for it. For example, some tourists may wear sacred Hawaiian symbols, such as the hula skirt, as a costume without understanding the cultural significance behind them.

Estimates from the American Community Survey showed that in 2011, there were about 296,400 Native Hawaiians in Hawaiʻi and about 221,600 on the continental U.S. Just a decade later, those numbers flipped. In 2021, there were about 309,800 Native Hawaiians in Hawaiʻi and about 370,000 in other states.

In 2010, 55% of Native Hawaiians lived in Hawaii, compared to 45% in other states. While Native Hawaiian populations both in Hawaii and on the continent are growing, the existing gap could widen in the coming years as the Native Hawaiian population on the continent grows at a rate five times faster than that in Hawaii.

Most early Asian settlers to the United States went to Hawaii. Most of these early immigrants moved to the islands as laborers to work on the pineapple, coconut, and sugarcane plantations. These early migrants have tended to stay, although a handful returned to their home countries.

The land trust consists of over 200,000 acres on the islands of Hawai'i, Maui, Moloka'i, Lāna'i, O'ahu, and Kaua'i. DHHL provides direct benefits to native Hawaiians in many ways.

Q: Can you live in Hawaii with $3,000 a month? A: That depends on several factors, such as your individual lifestyle, specific living expenses, location, and whether or not you're retiring in Hawaii on a budget. Generally speaking, though, $3,000 a month may be a tight squeeze.

Can you live in Hawaii with 100k salary? ›

Keep in mind that certain things like utilities, health insurance and entertainment can cost more in Hawaii than they do in other states. While $100,000 or so a year might be enough to afford you a comfortable lifestyle on the mainland, your money might not go as far in Hawaii.

Using that data, researchers doubled the total yearly cost of necessities to determine a living wage that also factors in discretionary spending and savings. In Hawaii, you need to earn $112,411 a year to make what's considered a living wage, according to the GBR study.

Of course, living in Hawaii also has its challenges. The cost of living can be high, especially in terms of housing and groceries. The islands are also isolated from the mainland, which can make it difficult to access certain goods and services. But what do you really know about living in Hawaii?

Thousands are leaving the Islands. California is the No. 1 state they're moving to. The downward trend continues as Hawaii's population decreases for the seventh consecutive year.

On average, between July 1, 2022 and July 1, 2023, the State of Hawaii's population decreased by 12 people a day. There was a natural increase of 6 people per day, but, on average, 18 more people moved out of the State of Hawaii than moved to the State of Hawaii per day, causing an overall decline.

Current issues

Native Hawai'ians also have one of the worst death and disease rates of any ethnic group in the US, and high rates of school failure, substance abuse, suicide, homelessness, welfare dependency and incarceration.

Of the more than 680,000 Native Hawaiians in the U.S., 55% of the population is currently living outside Hawaiʻi.

Beyond their economic importance, Hawaiian beaches are also culturally and ecologically valuable. However, climate change driven sea-level rise is causing many beaches to disappear, endangering property, infrastructure, and critical habitats.

Native Hawaiians do not consider themselves “American” for their origins are not like the Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands sailed over 2,000 miles to Hawai'i more than 1,600 years ago. Another group from the Society Islands arrived about 800 years later.