# Why don’t you move to Honolulu? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 27, 2024, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311 "2024-10-27T21:15:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/21 "2024-10-28T02:06:48Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > In Honolulu, you can’t drive even thirty miles away. Yes you can - Oahu isn’t THAT small. But your larger point is correct - you can’t drive 100 miles there. > [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I’ve read that you need to make at least $100k per year just to have a livable wage, due to the high costs of everything. Ignoring that in their list of “most livable” is pretty idiotic since the high cost of living is one of the things that makes Honolulu unlivable for many. Cost of living is definitely an issue but it kind of depends on where you are in life. As a home-owning retiree with no children at home, I don’t find it particularly costly. There are no heating bills, recreation is free if you like the out-of-doors (I do), and you don’t have to spend much on clothing since the dress code is much more casual (and no winter coats). People drive their cars for many years if they need to, since weather and road conditions don’t do a lot of damage. But if you have children to educate and you need to pay rent or a mortgage, and heaven forbid you have multiple relatives on the mainland you’d like to see occasionally - then the cost of living is going to be much higher. As for me, I dislike Honolulu. It may not be huge by US city standards, but it’s got a big-city vibe, by which I mean you can go for blocks and blocks and blocks seeing nothing but asphalt and skyscrapers (I exaggerate, but only a little - your feet won’t touch grass if you are walking a couple of miles from your apartment to your favorite restaurant. UGH.) Where I live (Hawai’i Island, aka Big Island) is not for everyone, but I love it here. I have beautiful views of palm trees and ocean all around me. I’m never bone-achingly cold (chilly sometimes, but that’s bearable). My breakfast this morning included papaya with lime, all from fruit we grew right here on our own land. People are pretty darn nice - the “aloha spirit” can be over-romanticized, but it really is real. I understand feeling trapped by an island, but having spent decades living all over the world, I’m quite happy to plop myself down here and not travel much. So it works for me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/22 "2024-10-28T02:09:18Z")
It may also help to live on the leeward side of the island in question (i.e. away from the trade winds), because the rain imbalance from one side to the other is often stark. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/23 "2024-10-28T02:14:31Z")
It does snow on the Big Island. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/24 "2024-10-28T02:23:14Z")
60% of the US population (and I bet a good chunk of Canada’s) is within a half day’s drive to Ohio, where I live. I don’t think being on an island that is a 5 hour flight from the west coast of the US is something I’d be in to. I like being in “the heart of it all.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/25 "2024-10-28T02:58:58Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I like being in “the heart of it all.” 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/26 "2024-10-28T03:00:27Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > > > In Honolulu, you can’t drive even thirty miles away. > > Yes you can - Oahu isn’t THAT small. But your larger point is correct - you can’t drive 100 miles there. I checked. The straight line distance from Honolulu to Kawela Bay (the furthest point away on Oahu) is twenty-seven miles. But I see there is no road along this direct route; the shortest driving distance is thirty-nine miles. It appears that the longest drive you can take on Oahu, without intentionally going out of your way, is the 58.4 mile drive from Alan Davis Beach on one end of the island to Kaʻena Point State Park which is on the opposite end. Here’s a bit of Oahu driving trivia. The driving distance from Alan Davis Beach to Ka’ena Point Trailhead is only 50.4 miles. The Ka’ena Point Trailhead and the entrance to Ka’ena Point State Park are connected by a hiking trail that looks to be about a mile and a half long - but there’s no road connecting these two locations. To drive from Ka’ena Point Trailhead to Ka’ena Point State Park is a fifty-five mile drive. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/27 "2024-10-28T03:02:28Z")
I see you jealous West Coast Guy! ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/28 "2024-10-28T03:05:56Z")
My wife and I have always lived within two hours of salt water. 😉 (Currently, we’re two minutes away if we walk.) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/29 "2024-10-28T03:07:51Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Your government wouldn’t let me. Canada? Pretty easy to get a green card. Why we dont- high cost of living . Hunid, moist and hot. Soon to be hotter. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/30 "2024-10-28T03:27:51Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Hunid, moist and hot. Soon to be hotter. First we went to Puerto Rico. Then we went to Hawaii. Hawaii in October was _much_ more comfortable than PR in October. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/31 "2024-10-28T03:38:14Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Then we went to Hawaii. Hawaii in October was _much_ more comfortable than PR in October. I live in SoCal- in fact I have lived here all my life (the Government has sent me to other states on a detail, and I have visited Canada (relatives) and Mexico). No humidity. Yes, it gets 100 degrees in two summer months. But “it’s a dry heat”… I visited Texas, Alabama, Hawaii, and Florida- the humidity and heat is not livable IMHO. Here, chaparral, at nite the temps drop way down at nite so we turn off the AC and open the windows. “Dry heat” stay in the shade, and stay hydrated- and you are fine. Now, I was stationed for one week (or was it two?) in the middle of Downtown Honolulu, so maybe I did not see the islands at their best- but the AC was on all nite. I wouldn’t mind going back on vacation, mind you- that Disney resort looks nice. I remember our per diem barely covered our meals, but I admit the GSA is pretty cheap-ass. Thank gawd we had free lunches in the training center most days. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/32 "2024-10-28T10:33:43Z")
Wife and I visited the islands 2 years ago. Honestly I was like ‘Meh’ Quite underwhelmed. The costs where not a shock, but I already live in a tourist area, so I’m used to that. I’m not really a beach/water person though. I did used to SCBA dive, but that’s different, and I don’t dive anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/33 "2024-10-28T10:45:26Z")
I have actually been considering a move to Honolulu, somewhat missing island life and always having wanted to go to Hawaii. I even have a remote job that permits me to work from any place in the United States that I want. The problem is that my salary is \<$60k and it would be tough to eke out a living in Honolulu on that pay. I’d have to find a second income source. But - having never yet set foot in Hawaii yet in my life, I won’t do it without at least 2-3 visits to Honolulu first. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/34 "2024-10-28T14:51:02Z")
I know I wouldn’t like living in Honolulu. Too many people, too many tourists, and the high cost of everything. A lot of small islands are like this, too. I live in Ohio, and would never want to live on Put-in-Bay or Macinac Island, for the same reasons. But not all islands are like that. Earlier this year my wife and I drove around Manitoulin Island. _That’s_ an island I could live on. Plus there’s a bridge to the mainland, which is nice. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/35 "2024-10-28T19:48:37Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I have actually been considering a move to Honolulu, somewhat missing island life and always having wanted to go to Hawaii. I even have a remote job that permits me to work from any place in the United States that I want. The problem is that my salary is \<$60k and it would be tough to eke out a living in Honolulu on that pay. I’d have to find a second income source. > > But - having never yet set foot in Hawaii yet in my life, I won’t do it without at least 2-3 visits to Honolulu first Again, there’s more to Oahu than Honolulu. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/36 "2024-10-28T19:54:51Z")
1. Island 2. Cats 3. Prices 4. Island ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/37 "2024-10-28T20:01:36Z")
1. Lack of jobs for my wife’s expertise. 2. General cost of living 3. Temperature, humidity and general climate 4. Risk of MAJOR natural disasters of many flavors. 5. Difficulty of visiting all my friends/family (on the mainland) 6. Supply chain vulnerability. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/38 "2024-10-28T20:10:09Z")
I actually had the opportunity to be stationed in Hawaii (at Pearl Harbor) when I was in the Navy. I declined for the following reasons: - Cost of living - I heard the natives resent outsiders who live there. - I was told being on an island gets old sooner than you think. - I was single at the time and would be an 8+ hour plane flight away from family. Decades later I finally went there to visit. It was very nice visiting as a tourist. We spent three nights in Maui, three nights on the Big Island, and seven nights on Oahu. But after just a week staying on Oahu, I started feeling seriously claustrophobic. It didn’t help that we had two instances of having to backtrack for 1-1/2 hours because of a closed road. If the ring road on the coast is closed for whatever reason, there is typically no place to go other than back around the island the other way. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/39 "2024-10-28T20:12:45Z")
I’ve lived on an island before and supply chains do experience disruptions. I start to feel stuck and claustrophobic after awhile. My extended family lives on the east coast and I need to be near them. I prefer cooler temperatures. Even Pennsylvania is getting a bit warm these days lol/s. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2024, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311/40 "2024-10-28T20:19:53Z")
I like where I live now and have no desire to live elsewhere. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-don-t-you-move-to-honolulu/1009311.md?page=3)