My family bought land back after the plantations shut down. It was fairly cheap back then. Eventually it will be passed to us kids. I'm hoping to keep the land for anyone in my family who wants to have the same opportunity. Not many people get the opportunity to plant a fruit tree in the backyard and watch it grow over the years. We were never rich, but still I feel privileged.

Moved away in 2017, for better employment opportunities and lower cost of living. Found both. I no longer have those rough times struggling to make ends meet for my family 6, so no regrets.

So true. I was from Kauai. After getting divorced I struggled to support 2 kids. With the help of HUD and welfare, I was able to get a nursing education at Kauai Community College. But you know what?! I couldn’t afford rent and living expenses while working as an RN so we had to move to the mainland where I can afford rent and expenses. So sad 😢

Thank you for sharing your insights about Hawaii. I can feel your love for Hawaii and appreciate your honesty about some facts of life in paradise. As I get older, I realize there is simply no perfect place anywhere, just different priorities for different people and different income levels.

Chris it’s always a pleasure to see your u tube channel. I and my wife miss Hawaii our home away from home. We’ve been here in Southern California since 1993 when I retired from the Marine Corps at Kaneohe Bay. My Father- In- Law wanted us to stay in Hawaii and would help us with getting our first home. Sadly I didn’t listen to him and he was highly respected by me and my family. Our sons transition from public school to Kamehameha School in 1992. My wife was working at Fort Shafter PX. We lived in a rented house in Mililani Town. Watching my sons grow up in the Islands didn’t have the right feeling. Eventually I decided to retire and moved to the mainland. Specifically San Diego. Yes, it wasn’t easy for my family and I but in the long run I eventually found a good job. Went back to school to finish my bachelor’s and bought our first home. We relocated to Riverside County After I retired from the San Diego County Government in 2010. Bought our second home in Menifee, California. Do I have regrets about leaving Hawai’i. No. Why? Because my brother and sisters are still renting their home in Makaha . Will we ever come back? Yes, when I get cremated and shipped back home. Life is good. Don’t dwell on things you have no control over only on things you do!

We moved here 7 months ago from Cali.. I'm a high income earner and I can't imagine myself dealing with it for much longer. The lifestyle we had in Cali is significantly more here in Hawaii. We are a family of 6 and we spend $100 a day on groceries alone, our electricity bill is $900/month at 77 degree air conditioner. I wish you all luck when you move here.. We're finding out Hawaii is great but these costs make it near impossible to live here.

The only reason why I am able to continue living in Hawaii is because of generational property. I grew up with my grandparents and parents under one roof. The house my family owned was big enough to have enough room for everyone but eventually my grandparents and father passed away and my sister moved to the mainland for post graduate school, got a job up there and a long-term partner to live in with. The only ones remaining in the property are my Mom and myself. We were very fortunate that the mortgage on the property was paid off long before my father passed away. I don't make much money either but it really helps to not worry about rent or mortgage. I contemplate a lot about moving to the mainland as an option because it seems to be working well for my sister who is able to live independently. Even if I were to be very rich, I don't think I would live in Hawaii full time. The taxes on personal investment is very high whereas some states on the mainland have zero capital gains tax on a state level which makes a huge difference for millionaires who trade a lot of stocks.

I think the biggest factor in deciding whether to leave or not will be if your quality of life can't get better or it starts to decline. I"m not talking about the inconvenience of cutting out those nice to have things like buying lattes, I mean that basically all you can do is live paycheck to paycheck paying for necessities like food and shelter and one unplanned emergency could leave you bankrupt, even though you're not living beyond your means. Precarity is stressful and takes a toll on mental and physical health. You can love Hawaii, but if it doesn't love you back something has to give.

Thank you for your stories of the real Hawaii and the struggles locals face at home. When I was younger, I used to think it was unfortunate that I was born and raised in one of the more boring parts of the Midwest. My mindset started to shift when I moved to California for school. I met several from the Bay Area and LA who were worried that they might never be able to afford to live near their families again. I got to go back home, buy a house before I turned 30, and have a good quality of life. Anyway, we should all appreciate what we have a little more 😊. Hope to visit Hawaii someday!

The grass is greener, but cost of living on the East and West Coast and now most of the South on the mainland is expensive too.

our daughter decided to leave and move to ARIZONA she never wanna come back cause she found the best opportunities for her, so me and my wife is now gearing up to follow our daughter and move to ARIZONA, no tentative date but were are now in the process, i came here from California back in the early 90's i got married and ended up staying, but it has change so much, specially so much restrictions, prices and taxes etc. i got lots of friends that move and manage to buy a house in just less than a year, im same as you my wife was originally from JAPAN but she really love the Mainland, and ARIZONA is beautiful specially FLAGSTAFF and SEDONA

Always enjoy hearing your perspective, thanks!

I love your videos, loved my life in Hawaii. Moved to Arizona 27 years ago. It’s not as affordable as people think. My husband and I can not afford to buy a home here in Az. It’s gotten very expensive, as the wealth come here and buy up Real Estate for investments , Airbnb etc the cost of homes have skyrocketed. We love Arizona, but we see what was happening in Hawaii while we lived there and is still happening, is happening here. We’ve Been priced out and can no longer afford to buy here. Just want you to know what it truly is like here.

Hawaii is beautiful. It is paradise on earth. I get exactly what you're saying. It is a struggle. Tough call. Very tough call. I admire your tenacity to stay in Hawaii.

I was stationed at Schofield Barracks 1984-88, it was crazy expensive back then. I can not imagine the cost of living now, but some of the best people I have ever met during my service with the Army.

I enjoy your videos. I was born/raised in Kahaluu and grad Castle. I now live in Colorado. Your videos remind me of all that I love about being from Hawaii, the culture, what it really means to be “local”, and the struggle. The challenges and middle class squeeze was exactly the same 27 years ago when I left (1996). Your words are true though…my family and friends that stayed continue to struggle til this day. I’m not sure what the answer is though other than as you say, there’s a choice to make on staying or going. I don’t see things changing. Thank you for your videos. Please know that they mean a lot to me to watch them.

Your video of why people stay or leave Hawaii was very thoughtful and insightful. I left Hawaii some 30 years ago for many of the reasons you spoke to. The whys have only been amplified with the passage of time. I wish you well, and for those who choose to leave paradise, I wish you the best of luck. There are a great many opportunities on the mainland, just take the plunge!

Sometime the grass is not greener on the other side. I have friends who move back to Hawaii because cost of living on the mainland is just as much as in Hawaii or more.

You're right about Hawaii changing, and I do believe there is some economic weariness chipping away at the culture of Aloha. People seem to be more stressed, more preoccupied, and often times more resentful of others who don't appear to carry those same burdens. And it's not just cost of living, its lack of economic mobility. There's no room to grow and no exemplars of growth. I think that's also where a lot of sadness comes from in Hawaii -- its the feeling of hopelessness; "no matter what I do, I'll always barely scrape by". I can feel the tension more when I revist Hawaii as a tourist then when I was a local there. It's a little sad.

You continue to amaze me with your brilliant insight! I think you should have a network show like Jessie Watters did when he first started on FOX. Mahalo for all you do❤

What you are describing is a “hollowing out” of the middle class. For Oahu, applying the existing state General Excise Tax at 4.712%, Transient Accommodations Tax at 10.25%, and Oahu Transient Accommodations Tax at 3% (combined rate of 17.962%) to all housing not used as a family residence is absolutely needed to restore housing’s role back to its primary purpose of raising families. Absentee and short-term housing should be taxed in the same manner as hotel rooms are. Period. It’s done in many other places, and should be done here. The other islands should too. Enacting this would bring home prices down now and reset future trends lower too. And workers are due for a true “step-up” in wages, as is happening on the mainland. Employers are currently taking advantage of workers a bit but shouldn’t any longer. Rising costs mean higher wages. And for those with passive income not needing to work the increased costs will be manageable. Hawaii had a middle-class once, and needs to get one again. Being born and raised here has to “be above” the wants of an investor class that views Hawaii as an investment “vehicle”. Taxing investor housing to promote affordable domestic consumption will shift housing from an “enterprise” exclusively for the rich towards more productive uses for those raising families and/or starting out in life. It will also lower crime. There ought to widespread support out there if someone (like you?) could latch on to that energy and direct it.

Thank you for this video! It was nice to listen to someone who understands! For the first time in my life, I am looking at moving to Oregon because I just can’t seem to find a nice, affordable apartment to rent with my income, which isn’t bad at all for someone who is self employed. I was born and mostly raised here on Oahu and never thought I would need to move because I can’t find affordable housing to rent. I have a few more weeks to keep looking. But, thank you! I just needed to hear this today! Much Aloha to you!

The only reason I’m staying is because husband have a descent job and we live confortable. Many times I have tell him to leave the island but I think he’s scare of big changes and being alone in a new place. In the positive side here in Hawaii we don’t have snow, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, or heavy rains which can be very stressful to be preparing for and dealing with every year. Also being adventurous and traveling to Asia is fun and cheap, and many times airlines have very nice deals to travel to mainland, and because we’re so used to the high prices here, everything is “cheaper” in other cities. And the big one for me, not gun violence and mass shooting in schools here… yet.

Good video and well covered points. I'll say one of the things that it depends strongest on is the individual personality to what holds the person to Hawaii. Regret is a powerful thing for people that creeps up on people as they age and their family member's age. When we're young, depending on the family relationships, they aren't always motivators in the early adult years that we don't know what they mean until they are gone. The Hawaiian Tel commercials of the child or parent missing their offspring far from home during college, then later adult life. Depending on how often they call or return home from being far from them. Later, they think there is tomorrow, tomorrow until it is too late, and they realize there is not tomorrow for the loved one and they weren't there at the last moment or they didn't help them out, leaving them alone or others to handle the details. Those that have the regret, it's too late. For those that don't, it's like that faded photograph that they barely remember and it's not so important. It's up to the individual how they deal with that loss, they must live with it. Moving away depends on the person being healthy enough, willing enough, able enough to deal with change management for themselves and others that might be included. If one is single, independent, healthy, able to handle having nothing, starting from nothing, it is easier than having more. I worked with lots of active duty and civilians leaving/arriving to the islands, and military people enduring relocation every 3-4 years, which given the number of times during a full military career is 6 or 7 times and it's no picnic but it's easier as they have sponsors. Island folks moving away need housing, transportation, references for establishing themselves anywhere they go outside, even on outer islands. Medical/financial all need to get sorted out and that takes time and resources. People start all back from scratch and the older and more responsibilities, they have the harder the burden. Doing it without help at the next location gets more complicated. I would think census data and other data collection methodology would start identifying who's leaving and why, should narrow the trends. I had the opportunities to relocation in my early single career, established married career and those things were big consideration especially as the loved ones were aging or the medical/financial re-establishment of unhealthy family member in a new/remote area came into focus. Hindsight is 20/20, but at the time, thinking about how it would impact my personality and my loved ones narrowed it to being on track to have made the right decision. It's not an easy/quick decision for many.

Like you, our familia values kept us in the region where we grew up. Looking back, these many years later, we don't regret the choices we made. I'm hopeful Hawaii can learn how to move forward with an economy and regulatory environment that makes the decision to leave or not, a real choice.

I just have to say as someone who loves Hawaii and have been multiple times (but not since 2020!) , daughters who have gone to school there, a sister who has lived there for almost 20 years…that it IS NOT just Hawaii right now!! I am a single woman living on the mainland in a fairly reasonable cost of living state but this last year has made me question a lot!! A few years ago after a mid life divorce I made a salary that was ‘what it takes to live here’! The new one came out not to long ago (the new amount ) and now I’m 15, 000 under as a lower middle class person who qualifies for 0 help (if I wanted it!)!!! The amounts I’m talking about would seem like nothing by Hawaii standards but it’s all relative to where you live!!! May you continue to be able to fight the good fight living on island 🌺

Chris - The nation-wide, (ever shrinking Middle Class) issue began in 2008 with the housing crisis and never recovered. Interest rates were held at near zero for years to stabilize the market, and an investment frenzy followed and forced many middle class out of prime investment areas (like Hawaii, North and Southern Cal.). This is much bigger than just Hawaii, but hits Hawaii hardest since the Islands became a hyper-investment area. You mention that your AMI began to erode. In 2010, I watched the AMI erode in California and the sonsequences that followed. Many of the Middle Class were forced out from where they'd lived for generations to buy in more affordable regions of the country and settle out of State. Like Hawaii, California turned into a crime ridden homeless filled pit where closet-sized homes began selling to the investment Class for Million$ as the supply of housing vaporized and created a Buying frenzy. Well, look at what's unfolding tooday? Fast forward back to Hawaii - The Hawaiian Middle Class is gutted leaving the dominant Royal/Peasant Class(es) as the only remaining dynamic. The remaining peasant class #1 dialog is affordability and the Affluent class can't find qualified labor to repair their homes, fill potholes on roads and throw a coat of paint to peeling walls. All of them have pulled a ticket for Plumbers/electricians/Painters, etc. in the hopes of getting their homes renovated. Heaven forbid you should piss off the only Guy who fixes flat tires on the island to ensure you can get to work the next day. For the Peasant Class to survive, it now requires them to juggle multiple jobs in order to sustain life. After years of nose-to-grindstone lifestyle and never getting ahead, is it no wonder why local Hawaiians choose to cash out and move to more affordable regions? Left unchecked, the Hawaiian spirit will continue to get choked out of existence until the Royal Class is forced to import qualified labor, because even the Peasants have left. Then what?

August 1983. Enlisted US Navy. Didn't return until 2004. 2009 departed for other overseas employment and never returned to da Aina. Blessings Hawai'i. Nice video sir. Mahalo.

My home in Southern California hit $1 million. I’m glad I bought 5 years ago at $700K. The option is finding a good job elsewhere. Then one day return with a large home equity and a good job if you can get it. The pandemic changed everything. I haven’t visited Hawaii recently due to very expensive airfares.

Aloha, I can totally relate your frustration. We still have home there and renting out for us to move back from Midwest. We are away bc my husband job who gets paid higher here, back there somehow it’s less and cost of living is double if not more. I have good job in Hawaii, as Asian I know I can feel much more “ equal “ there not here but feels like almost all local residents are under constant pressure, taken advantage from its own government after all. Wealthy means there too extreme, too. We are decisive if we really want to move back right now….. thanks for your info

Aloha Nephew, Everything that you say is true. Everything. You naturally have the perspective of your age and time in life. The motivations are entirely understandable, in fact, admirable in many instances. I write from the a remote part of Mainland America that is reminiscent of up-land Kaua'i. There is something about the land of Hawai'i that is even more than family and money. My work takes me many places for long periods, but when anyone asks where I am from the answer is "Hawai'i". Hapa Haole - Pu'uwai is Hawaiian. Shootz.

Miss running at Ala Moana Beach Park but love trail running in the PNW. I enjoy the change of seasons and taking road trips (16 hours to Vegas haha!) Gotta admit I’ve spent big bucks flying back and forth to visit family but because I could afford a huge house up here friends and family always have a place to stay when they come up. Kept my 808 number so meet lots of other transplants but just about all of us have no regrets on the move. As you said, Hawaii was a great place to grow up!

I have recently made the decision to leave again, I moved back 4 years ago at the beginning of Covid, but after 4 years, I see every year it’s costing me more and more to stay. I personally love LA and as much as I will miss Oahu, I find it comforting to be moving back to a place I’m comfortable with, that I know has more opportunities etc…

22 years off the grid on the big island, doing fine.

Good analysis. I lived there while I attended UH Manoa in the mid 1970s. It was not so expensive back then of course. But the single-wall house I lived in with 4 other roommates now is worth 1.2 million dollars. When I look around there in Honolulu and Waikiki, not much has changed. Most of the buildings were built around the time I was in college there. Those were good times but I think it is over now. Also, I think that tourism is also not a good as it was.

Very interesting perspective and I like your take on the various reasons to stay or leave. I just retired and could probably stay here and survive here just fine. But that's the operative word...survive. At this point in my life, I'd rather live than just survive. Hawaii will always be my home, but my move will make the remaining years of my life a whole lot better.

I saw your vlog about Japanese words that Japanese from Hawaii use but Japanese Nationals don’t understand and I think I have a couple of explanations. The first is Hana bata days. This one is half Japanese and half Pidgin English. Hana is of course the Japanese part and Bata is Pidgin for “butter” . Thus “nose butter”. Kinda gross but pretty accurate yeah? The other is Habuteru. This one is more refining the definition. Habuteru is more pouty than grouchy, so when you’re habuteru, you’re pouting more than grouchy. That’s all I got. I really enjoy your stuff as it’s thought provoking and interesting. Keep up the good work! Mahalo , Mike

I fantasize about living in Hawaii and was just about ready to move to Hawaii… even pricing shipping of my car… part of me wishes I had moved but it seems like it’s really changed since the 90’s. I still think I’d rather be homeless in Hawaii than working my butt off to spend 2/3’s of my income on rent on the mainland.

I don’t know if thumbs up or down. However it is a great coverage and I respect your point of view. I was born in south Portugal with sunny beach, surfing, fishing,etc. Age 17 I came to Ny and since then I have been traveling to o’Ahu since I have relatives there in Pearl City. I have a comfortable life in NY and since my most recent trip to O’Ahu my wife and I decided within 2 or 3 year to move there and surely we do not need all the main land luxury. Just leave live of the grid and minimalist. Yes we can afford that and yes we can live life simple, respect the nature, embrace the culture and pray to a healthy long life. We are tired of the toxicity of main land, be used to pay tax and be stressed out about the specially new illegal migrants storming our neighborhood and values.once again kudos to your streaming 10+. Mahalo. Sergio & Lynn

I live in SoCal. It's painful here too. And honestly, I would rather suffer in Hawaii. I would take a reasonable pay cut, just so I can pay rent, eat, surf and spend time with my family. My hobbies doesn't cost me much, just a walk to the beach. Mahaloz.

Wow!!!! I absolutely LOVE You little brother. What I adore most about YOU.. is your dedication and your loyalty to your family!!! STAY THERE You are the reason Hawaii is such a wonderful place to live!! Please get involved in Civic policy!! I would Vote for you as my Councillor or for my Mayor in an absolute heartbeat!!!! Much Aloha from Toronto! 🌬✝️🇨🇦📸🏝🤙🙏🌏😘

Thanks for the vlog! The topics are great, makes me think. I've read articles talking about this same issue. They called it "brain drain". I've also heard numbers like so many a week of people leaving to find opportunities elsewhere. I'm assuming some of that is true, but there are still those people like yourself values the closeness of family more than going elsewhere. Also those people who have multi-family homes where each generation just takes over. So, I guess I'm hopeful that enough people will be around so that Hawaii, does not fall into a place where there is only super rich and super poor.

I have no relatives there. I would not feel good unless I had above 150K income , maybe less if i could live without a car. When they raise the rent in Honolulu they raise it big. Also on the mainland now too. In 2001 I had a 1 bd and walked to work at Ala Moana and a pt job on Pensacola. No kids , no car. I enjoyed it for a few years. Rent was 600 only because the owner was trying to sell and wanted full occupancy at all times. Very small place but super location near the Pan Am Bldg. My pool was the ocean. Those days are long gone.

Again you hit the nail on the head. I must commend you on the topic of taking care of your parents cuz you are the oldest son, a lot of others don't follow that idea & feel it's out of date or old fashion, I just feel it's the "Japanese " tradition of obligation " ong" ( check with you our wife) you were raised right😊

is this the Sand Island Beach park? That banyan tree was amazing!

Agreed to everything you say in this video. It is a concern whether the next generation can get a job to support themselves even if they inherit a house in Hawaii. Property taxes, utility bills, grocery bills, etc............... still have to be paid. If you don't pay your property taxes you will see who really owns your house---- the government. Same applies to California where I live now. Born in Hawaii and sad to see so many people having to leave because of everything you said in this video.

The reality is that Hawaii is a small set of islands in the middle of the largest body of water on Earth. The resources are limited, the distance is too wide to ship things cheaply and the people are culturally isolated…it is hard to live on an island, it always has been. Life on any island will be difficult, but Hawaii is especially remote so it is inherently harder there. Islands throughout the planet are being departed by residents/locals because modern conveniences are more in demand than the “simple” life on an island. What Hawaiians want is their cake, and to eat it too. They want to have a nice middle-class life with all the modern conveniences while remaining on an isolated island 2,000 miles from the nearest modern mainland center. That is way too expensive, and since creating economic value from an isolated island is extremely difficult, the island dream is not attainable for most people…one has to ratchet down their lifestyle, or move to population centers for conveniences at a lower price…

Have conditions gone from bad to worse since the Maui Fire? What has happened as a result of all those people who found themselves without a home to go back to? With the scraps of Hawaii homes for sale at such obscene prices (before the fire), the 1st thing I thought of was "Even the closet-sized warts that have been picked over will now get bought just to house those who have been displaced by the Maui fire." If there's a shred of truth to that, Hawaii's home sales market inventory (supply) will shrink even more and that only spells continued obscene home price escalation. Do you have any intel on that Chris as the months peel by? I know fewer homes are now being sold, but you can't sell what you don't have and the number of new home-for-sale listings are already at an all-time low. With stratospheric shelter cost pricing everyone except Investors and All-cash Buyers out of the market, Middle-Class Buyers will never be able to hope to buy in and stay in the Hawaii market. Possible? Yes, but extremely unlikely. As one of the commentors below states - it forces generations of locals to stay under one roof just to survive. Drive around and see how many cars are choking single-family two-bedroom homes. There's your evidence. I see it all the time in California. This is why I moved out. No one can afford that and no one wants to live under such high-density conditions. It creates a pressure-cooker that people just want to escape from vs. stay.

My dad left Hawaii in 1947. He had enough after Pearl Harbor. My grandma my uncle stayed back there Eckerts family I have roots there and some of them are still there

I wouldn't be surprised if the lower income residents have been the ones to leave Hawaii in the greater numbers. That is not to say that middle class is not too far behind in numbers. There are a lot of businesses in Hawaii that want to hire people but there just aren't any applicants. There have been restaurants in the news that closed not because business was slow but there were a lack of employees. Low wage employees should be the easiest to hire. I think the covid pandemic allowed people time to think about their life here in Hawaii and people came to the conclusion that it would be easier to live on the mainland. If you're caught up in the hustle and bustle in daily living you don't time to step back and evaluate life but covid gave a lot of time for people to think. The covid pandemic also started an upward price spiral with supply chain issues which made life harder in Hawaii. It was during this time that average home prices became $1 million. Now with inflation caused by the stimulus packages it has made the cost of living worse. Add to this the fact that the Fed has raised interest rates to fight inflation which resulted in mortgage rates exceeding 7%. Imagine buying a home for $1 million with a 7% loan. It's so much harder for a low wage person to make it in Hawaii. Hawaii is starting to lose the human infrastructure of teachers, doctors, nurses, police officers, fire fighters, government workers to make the state operate because it is too expensive. At that point people will leave the state not because it is too expensive but Hawaii lacks the human infrastructure to make it function.

Im actually interested in moving to Hawaii. Might I ask, where are you considering moving in the US? It's not exactly sunshine and rainbows in the states right now 😂

Family is everything-

Great topic ... after traveling numerous countries, there are many other options to compare... New Zealand is like old Hawaii, clean, few crime, similar cultures and also have a Pearl Harbour and Waiau. They both belong to the larger group of Polynesians in terms of DNA, root language, and cultural similarites. Aside from DNA, many Maori legends indicate that they came from Hawaiiki, which they believe to be Hawaii, The exchange rate is 1 United States Dollar equals Follow 1.70 New Zealand Dollar Thailand also compares: Oahu is like a mini Thailand unto itself with Waikiki like a small Bangkok with neighboring Koh Samet or Hau Hin similar to the North Shore and other Oahu beaches.

Im currently here in Hawaii and I face the same choices.

I left in the early 70’s, all of what you said is the same as back then, except now the population is way more now, the brain drain back then is on going. Whereas I could now return, I had already reached that point decades ago, that ‘Hawaii was a great place’ to live. I know many here, not just the west coast but throughout the mainland already reached that decision

I left because of health issues for my mom on the Mainland years ago and had hoped to return to Maui one day but seeing the price of housing I don't know if I'll realistically be able to afford too

I am an outsider to islands and as a white man there for work. I loved the islands. I met my wife there. I saw my hero there “Jack Johnson”. I honored Eddie there through Nanthan Florence and Koa Rothman. The islands are where I am home but I can’t seem to find my way back. Hawaii is my heart, Hawaii is my home. Haole at birth, supporter at birth.

Here's a conspiracy theory for ya: Epstein's Island was a model for the very wealthy. They loved it there, and are pulling out all the stops to keep that Guest List secret. All over the world, wherever the region presents the finest weather, potential security (islands), or privacy, the world's elite - thought shell companies - are buying up land that is no longer affordable to the locals (Oprah's ranch). Whether it is open lands in Wyoming and Montana, or Hawaii, or Portugal or Coastal Africa, the wealthy are building conclaves. Even land surrounding a US Air Base near San Francisco is slated for building a private, secure conclave for the very wealthy. Next to an air base? Are they planning for their own supplies and flown-in security when everything turns to crap outside?

Hey Chris you should see what jobs are paying in another part of the mainland just to SEE whats out there (:

I left Hawaii back in 2000 and prior to leaving I didn’t consider myself as middle class and I was in my late 20’s, my annual salary averaged in the low $30K which wasn’t too bad then and the cost of living was bearable, here in the states I can consider myself as middle class with a well paying blue collar job that pays well over $60K up to $100K annually.

We tried to come back to Hawaii, but the salary won't be high enough and having to leave our house to most likely a small apartment/condo is hard to do. Oh well maybe when we retire. 😢

Lived in Honolulu since age 3 to 29. Then moved to LA till age 53. Now in Las Vegas. Still have a lot of family in Hawaii and visit often. I would consider having a second home in Hawaii, but would not permanently live there

Thank you

Im good. I enjoy Hawaii and just travel when i wanna see the world. You either got to inherit property. I didnt. Or get a high salary. I eventually worked myself up in sales. My great grandmother had 8 kids and all of them bought their own homes here on Oahu and had 3 or 4 kids. Howd they do it?

Spot on👍🏼🤙🏼

Hawaii WAS a great place to grow up, now a expensive place to live n raise kids. Too much greed and outsiders pushing us out unfortunately.

I left Maui 2015. . only way I could stay is if I worked 2 jobs AND lived in a vehicle. I cried for 2 yrs . Only people who get to live on Maui are inheritance kids/wealthy people/homeless/wealthy inheritance Hawaiians/living with multiple families /zero privacy

Watching all the people walking in the video appear to be content and happy to be in Hawaii. I would say most of the people in Hawaii are content to be there and life is as is. However, those who seek more opportunities which Hawaii has more limited options will leave. The fact that the price of houses is high is because supply and demand, and will remain high as long demand continue to be there. I was like you on the mainland. I have to be where I am and sacrifice my career because I have to be where I am to help out my aging Mom and older sister. Yeah life sock and it is what it is. Both have passed away now and I have alot more options in life, and the cruel irony is that I am alot older now and I am not as young and robust anymore and doing things have become more of a chore.

My answer to all your questions…. There is no place like Hawaii. I lived in Puerto Rico for 20 years and over 30 years in New York City. Moving to Hawaii was the best decision I’ve ever made 😎🤙

I ended up leaving HI after 31 years because of the way the government restricted myself and the industry where I worked. My company ended up laying off multiple hundreds of people, double digit percentage of the work force for the company. I ended up with a 40% salary cut. When trying to get in and out of the state the requirements ended up being outrageous and the treatment at the airport war horrible. The governor and other elected officials kept their salary and expected all the taxes while putting all sorts of barriers in the way for revenue and profit to be generated. The final straw was when a single judge overrode HRS127-14 that allowed unlimited emergency powers and the legislature did nothing to overrule the judge for stepping beyond her bounds rewriting the law and when asking the governors rep under what conditions he would give up the power; the answer came back several months later that we're in the middle of a pandemic (really, how to know it was the middle?) and then told he's a nice guy.

People in Hawaii seem to think the mainland is paved with gold or something. They won't do better on the mainland but they *think* they will do better.

I keep wanting to return after 15 years, but the money needs to stack up a bit more. The mainland is great, but returning would be greater

when the asset bubble pops it will get cheaper. It should at least go back to before 2020 levels for houses and rents.

what about the Big Island? I know it's more rural but would you say the prices are better there? I am from the mainland and it is nearly impossible to find land that is less than 4-5 million that is near clear blue water like there is in hawaii

It’s quickly becoming too expensive in most places. What it costs me now living in Florida is almost the same as living in Los Angeles or Hawaii.

No easy answers. Family is definitely a reason to stay.....or go if they left. Cost is also a real reason but the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

Left the islands because of educational and work opportunities on the mainland are plentiful by comparison. My kids have significantly more opportunities than their cousins back on Oahu.

Just curious, what would the yearly income need to be at to be considered middle class in Hawaii?

I live on about $24 k per year

I left a few times. 1985 for school. 1991 When Rene Mansho sunk rail. 1995 to move to San Antonio. 2014 after my dad died. I guess living on the continent since 85 on and off, everytime that I go home I see the place in decline. When I worked in HI, I felt locals get the shaft by companies there. I guess living in Phoenix, SF Bay Area, Portland, OR; San Antonio, TX; Denver, CO; and Albuquerque, NM. I guess I changed and no longer believe in the HI dream. All Hawaii communities on the continent have more Aloha. My mom still lives in HI. I visit about every 2 years. When I was younger I used to visit every 7 years. The career opportunities, education, and housing is a lot better. I still live with Aloha, and see lots of Hawaiians, Micronesians, Samoans, Tongan...etc. I now live in ABQ, its Hawaii without the beach and a different Native culture. People are sincere and the quality of life is great. I meet a lot of people who have lived in HI. It's always fun. I always find new family everywhere that I lived. I'm a pioneer and explorer, just like my ancestors.

I feel like it unaffordable everywhere. I understand moving to another state if you can get benefits you need. If it were me I’d rather be poor in paradise then poor in a depressing miserable freezing cold place.

2012 to 2020. I worked in Jeffersonvill Indiana, I meet beau , he is Hawaiian which he moved out there 1990 due to work back home. He told me, the only people who will help you out here is black folk. The kindness of being the outsider . I seen this and heard stories from Mexicano folk also, black folk help us out. Beau married a white women , he is more southern now. its work, to survive. PS. Makaha sons will be playing in Downey theatre October 20, I plan to watch them. OK.

Granny Gaspar was a subject of Kingdom. Now there is only one left. My brother made 2 x in California and everything cheaper. Nurses make 3 x like me. All but one of the cousins have left. One, who became a computer rich guy, couldn't get anywhere in ka aina.

Tenderloin and Kensington are great places to relocate lol

Moving to Hawaii from my 20s as a single person from the mid seventies to just after the turn of the century Hawaii was very cheap as long as you did not have a family I believe now they have replaced most the inexpensive local housing and entertainment into high cost tourist based economy

More job opportunities on the mainland.

Chris - I read every single comment here and you should be proud. Most all are simply Gobsmacked by the near impossible unaffordability that has gripped so many to abandon their homeland and place of dreams. When closet-sized homes costing $1.1Million to $1.3 Million become the only average available housing left, 90% of home Buyers are then cut out of affordable buying to live there. Goodbye Middle Class Buyers. Getting into the Hawaiian market then becomes a game for millionaires/investors and the remaining Military. My argument is this - I get why people there are leaving now = obscene and unaffordable cost of living. But how on earth can anyone new ever hope to get in? A stiffer question, is how will Hawaii's Next Gen. (those born now and over the next couple of decades) everrrrrrr be able to find a local job, then save enough for a down payment to buy a home of their own? That became a near impossible hurdle for me in California and I ended up leaving. I'm 4th Generation Californian with a Post-Grad and I was priced out. Thankfully, the rise in interest rates have halted the obscene Hawaii investor home speculation and a stiff price correction for homes is now underway. For how long? No one, including the FED knows. But obscene home prices coupled with paultry Housing Supply has led to a disaster for anyone trying to carve their way into Hawaii, much less stay and sustain astronomical cost-of-living expenses. One can only pray that things will change over time. Many prayers for you and anyone with hopes for the spirit of Aloha. Terrific posting. I've followed many of your others. Please keep going. Very insightful and much appreciated.

Two lines come to mind, "priced out of paradise" and "it's a nice place to visit, but you don't want to live there". Some of my friends and their families experienced comparable job opportunities on the mainland. And even though their rate of pay was about the same, there finances could be stretched a lot further due to the cost of living. But mainly, the bang for their buck when it came to the houses they could now afford. What was a two-bedroom condo in Hawaii, is a five-bedroom house in Las Vegas. You mentioned previous generations. My late father's & mother's generation live minimally. Not only because there was no BILLS to pay for services such as cell phones, cable TV, streaming services, internet, etc...they merely lived without many 'comforts' that we think are essential for life in this day and age. Luxury comforts takes money! Every single one of us needs to ask yourself "when do I want to retire?" and "how am I going to make that happen?" Lastly, "what am I actually doing to make that plan a reality?" And if moving to the mainland helps with this other thought "how comfortable do I want to be each and every day?" Then an existence within a five-bedroom house at the end of a long day at work becomes essential for quality of life.

The ones who will leave will be those who do not own a home. If I had not bought a house back in the eighties, I’d probably move to Vegas. It’s hard to retire if you’re still renting.

Alabama is a good destination. The cost of living is dirt cheap, it has access to the ocean with nice beaches and it's semi tropical so you get the Hawaiian tropical vibes without actually being in Hawaii with the benefit of low cost of living.

I left in 1972. Life there was actually kind of boring for me. How many times can you drive around the island?

Big island da bes ❤️🌺🌈👍🏽

yes. Everytime i set in traffic, saw the terrible schools, paid more taxes, saw strange work practices i resented the price local culture was costing me. Why do it this way?

Sold my house in Nanakuli bought a foreclosure in the mainland, no mortgage.

Always get Ramen and thinly sliced Spam to pull through the monthly payment on the lifted Tacoma.

Hawaii could be rich like mainland cities, if it abandoned its nepotism system of hiring and promotion in favor of merit based.

Ive moved my family alot throughout the country and A good alternative is south Florida. A 3/2 house on half an acre for around 400k. Probably well over one million easily in Hawaii. Plus Florida is a free state. My dream was to move to hawaii. That is disappearing rather quickly as i age at 40 now. About to buy some land and property in Florida nesr Jupiter or Vero Beach and call it a day. The dream of hawaii is gone but im ok i guess with that as the idea of financial stress is worse than anything i could eveer imagine. I dont want to be working till im dead. So im going to be moving my wife and kids one last time from the Midwest to Florida . Hawaii is a dream however being broke is the worst stress to ever go through. Been there before and dont plan to return to thet lifestyle. Hope you find some peace over there. Its a tough choice to stay in paradise.

Off Hawaii means more opportunities, name it buy homes rent it out for $, buy cars sell it fast, food festivals, exploration etc. Lots and lots but if I were to retire I come back.

After I retired from the Air Force in 2000, I didn't even think about getting a job in Hawaii. We lucked out and found a nice area to live in with an outstanding school District. I think the only thing to think about, is to figure out how to get a job on the mainland, and where to settle down.

I don't get it. There is no job out there that pays as much as Silicon Valley. And the housing prices are on par with Silicon Valley. The cost of living is as high as Silicon Valley. It just does not make sense at all for any working class to live there. In Silicon Valley, at least there are plenty of jobs that pay more than $100k a year. The babysitters, waiters/waitresses, contractor, and everyone who is willing to work are making over $100K a year. It is absurd in Hawaii.