Cost of Living

... 27% of households statewide fear being forced to move within a year—a figure that jumps to 41% among ALICE households ....

"...our focus remains on tackling the cost of living and improving the quality of life...."

... a modest but workable list of policy resolutions for 2025 ....

... Hawaii cannot afford to wait ....

... To date, about 14,000 residential and commercial customers have enrolled in Shift and Save ....

... Hawaii lost 0.65% of its population to other states in FY2024 ....

... Jan 3 and 6, 2025 ....

... It mostly comes down to one thing: housing ....

... Hawaii has the lowest average disposable income, $5,929 per working resident ....

... a few requests for the people of Hawaii ....

... The Department of Taxation Requires Employers Decrease Withholding Amounts Beginning January 1, 2025 ....

... Bureau of Economic Analysis data details disparities in spending power across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of each state ....

... the credit for this win goes to you, the people who got involved and made their voices heard ....

... The median price of a single-family home is up 9% statewide and 15% on Maui this year, and mortgage rates hover near 7%. Rising homeowner insurance premiums ....

... The economy (73%), personal finances (73%), and housing costs (64%) rank as the most significant stressors for residents, particularly for households with incomes below $50,000 ....

... State land use laws significantly restrict urban development, meaning neighborhoods or condos can only make up about 5 percent of the state ....

... $10.1 billion ....

"...restrictive regulations...."

... With the income tax reform and the increase in the supply of affordable housing, we expect that living in Hawaii will be more affordable and our state’s outmigration will be mitigated ....

... Reinsurance rates have increased 20-50% per year for the past few years ....

... we only build in Hawaii on 5% of the land mass — 95% is agriculture or preservation land ....

... 12 states now have median market rents exceeding $2,000 per month, an increase from nine states last year. Hawaii leads the list with a median rent of $2,909 ....

... there are three major sources of uncertainty ....

... the third time won’t be the charm ....

... FEMA will now attempt to wind down the inflated rental prices they have been paying on Maui.  Will it work? ....

... it could get worse ....

... these roadblocks hinder homebuilding, which fuels the ongoing housing crisis that impacts us all ....

... The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii proposals are intended to help speed up permitting and relieve the Aloha State’s housing crisis ....

... The analysis found that New Mexico, Hawaii and New York are the least affordable states for full-time center-based infant care ....

... One of our newer lawmakers recently penned a piece, “Consumer-Centered Property Insurance Can Help Condo Owners” ....

... Hawaii’s lawmakers listened to the people and did the most effective thing they could to significantly lower our incredibly high cost of living ....

... the average family bill will go up from $110 to $248 per month ....

... Hawaii's high cost of housing looks very different if you already own your own home ....

... the federal government has struggled to find workers with the skills it needs to fill jobs in these more remote parts of the United States ....

... Hawai`i homes are unaffordable, many Hawaiians and others have moved away and the ones still here are renters who work multiple jobs just to make ends meet ....

... errors that detract from the video’s effectiveness ....

... 17% rate hike proposed ....

... Cumulatively, the average Hawaii household has spent $33,365 more due to inflation since January 2021 ....

... The latest proclamation places a pause on the automatic adoption of county building codes ....

... Hawaii had the number one largest cost increase of any state in the country ....

... Honolulu 4.2% Consumer Price Index Change year over year ....

... 29% of fire-affected households now live below the poverty line, compared to 14% before the fires ....

... that’s a risk officials are taking by not actively clearing some of the most important legal barriers to rebuilding in Lahaina ....

... Bill 46 (2024) is the current version moving forward in the Council. ...

... Hanalei, Kauai monthly grocery expenditure cost: $841.67 --  Highest in USA ....

... Hilo has the lowest cost of living, Kailua has the highest ....

... Price control will always have the same effect: scarcity, a distorted market and higher prices ....

... an extra 13,000 to 14,000 households will be eligible for an average of $3,200 a year in SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps ....

... The second most-read article is “Why we left Hawaii” ....

... Hawaii's high cost of living drives down teachers' earnings ....