Advantages & Disadvantages of Moving to Honolulu

You think about moving to Honolulu but want to get additional information on the city and the lifestyle before making your final decision in this regard?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of living in Honolulu in the following chapters.

Living in Honolulu – Overview

Advantages of Living in Honolulu

1. Honolulu has great weather
2. Mild winters make Honolulu attractive to many people all over the US
3. You can spend lots of time in nature
4. Many leisure activities to choose from in Honolulu
5. You can spend lots of time outdoors
6. People in Honolulu are laid-back and friendly
7. Honolulu is a pretty tolerant place
8. Population in Honolulu has been growing over the past decade
9. Decent future outlook for Honolulu
10. You can make really good money in Honolulu
11. Honolulu is popular all over the US and even the world
12. Many of your friends will envy you for living in Honolulu
13. You can try many exotic foods in Honolulu
14. Honolulu is a great place for artists
15. You can experience alternative lifestyles in Honolulu
16. Traffic is not a big problem in Honolulu yet
17. Honolulu is a bicycle-friendly place
18. Decent public transport in Honolulu
19. Honolulu has an international airport
20. Decent nightlife in Honolulu
21. Honolulu is a safe place
22. Many shopping opportunities in Honolulu
23. You will find most things for daily life within walking distance
24. Honolulu has decent air quality
25. Honolulu is a great place to live for different generations
26. You may never have to move again

Honolulu has great weather

One advantage of living in Honolulu is that there is great tropical weather almost all year long and you can therefore really enjoy countless sunsets at the beach and also have more than enough opportunities to relax in this beautiful place.

Mild winters make Honolulu attractive to many people all over the US

Not only will you have great summers, but also winters are pretty mild and much warmer than in most other places and while people living in Minneapolis and other colder places often have to deal with strong winters, you can spend your time outdoors with just a shirt in Honolulu.

You can spend lots of time in nature

Honolulu also has lots of beautiful nature and you can therefore go fishing, swimming, hiking and do many other things in nature and you will never run out of ideas in this regard while you can also stay fit at the same time.

Many leisure activities to choose from in Honolulu

Apart from spending lots of time in nature, you will also find many leisure activities in Honolulu you may be used to from other big cities and will have more than enough entertainment.

You can spend lots of time outdoors

Since you will have hot summers and pretty mild winters, you will also have the opportunity to spend lots of time outdoors and this can be great for your health in the long run since you can breathe lots of fresh air.

People in Honolulu are laid-back and friendly

Another benefit of living in Honolulu is that people are pretty laid-back and friendly and also know how to make you feel comfortable so that you will have an easy time making new friends.

Honolulu is a pretty tolerant place

People are welcome from all over the world in Honolulu and your country of origin and your background don’t really matter as long as you are friendly and tolerant yourself and also accept different ways of life.

Population in Honolulu has been growing over the past decade

You should also know that population in Honolulu has been growing over the past decade and this is usually a sign that this region becomes increasingly popular and many people from all over the US consider moving to Honolulu in the future.

Decent future outlook for Honolulu

Since Honolulu is the biggest city in Hawaii and is also a great place to live and work, many people will stay in this place for quite a long time and you don’t have to worry that too many people will leave Honolulu anytime soon.

You can make really good money in Honolulu

Income levels in Honolulu are also far above national average and this means that you can make really good money in Honolulu if you have decent education and also many valuable skills needed in the job market right now.

Honolulu is popular all over the US and even the world

Honolulu is also a pretty popular place and well-known all over the world.

Consequently, you will meet many tourists in this city and can have many interesting conversations with people from different countries which helps you grow in character in the long run.

Many of your friends will envy you for living in Honolulu

Since Honolulu is pretty popular, many of your friends will envy you for living in Honolulu since you will live their dreams and you will therefore have a pretty high social standing among your peers.

You can try many exotic foods in Honolulu

Another upside to living in Honolulu is that you can try many delicious and exotic foods from different parts of the world and this can not only improve your overall quality of life but also gives you lots of inspiration for cooking at home.

Honolulu is a great place for artists

Honolulu also attracts many great artists from all over the world and if you are an artist and want to become better at what you are doing and also want to meet many like-minded people, Honolulu can be a great place to live for you.

You can experience alternative lifestyles in Honolulu

Honolulu is also known for its high level of tolerance and many alternative lifestyles and by meeting people living those alternative lifestyles, you can really expand your horizon and grow in character in the long run.

Traffic is not a big problem in Honolulu yet

Another upside to moving to Honolulu is that traffic is not a big problem and traffic jams are rather rare so you can get around by car in a much more efficient manner compared to people living in Los Angeles who often get stuck in traffic jams and lose lots of time during rush hour.

Honolulu is a bicycle-friendly place

You should also know that Honolulu is a bike-friendly place and you may therefore not need a car which could save you lots of money in the long run while you can do good for our environment at the same time.

Decent public transport in Honolulu

Honolulu also has pretty decent public transport and you can get around by bus in a pretty efficient manner if you don’t want to rely on your car or other means of transport.

Honolulu has an international airport

Another advantage of moving to Honolulu is that the city has an international airport and it is therefore relatively easy to get to many foreign countries in an efficient manner.

Decent nightlife in Honolulu

While you will not have the same selection of fancy bars or clubs in Honolulu as you might be used to from L.A. or other big cities, you will still have many interesting bars to hang out after work where you can meet up with your favorite people.

Honolulu is a safe place

You should also know that compared to many other big cities, Honolulu is pretty safe and your risk of getting involved in serious incidents will be rather low.

Many shopping opportunities in Honolulu

You will also find everything you need in Honolulu and will even have many fancy stores and other shopping opportunities and Honolulu can therefore also be a great place to live for fashion victims and shopping queens.

You will find most things for daily life within walking distance

In general, supply of material goods is pretty decent in Honolulu and you can find many things for daily life within walking distance so that you can buy groceries and other stuff in a pretty efficient manner.

Honolulu has decent air quality

Another benefit of moving to Honolulu is that the city has pretty decent air quality compared to most other big cities in the US and this can be great since it lowers your risk of suffering from serious pulmonary problems in the long run.

Honolulu is a great place to live for different generations

Since you will have so many different things to do, Honolulu is a great place to live for the young and for the old and different generations get along with each other pretty well.

You may never have to move again

Once you move to Honolulu, you may also feel like experiencing heaven and paradise and you may never want to move from this place ever again.

Now that you know all the reasons for moving to Honolulu, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of living in Honolulu in the following chapters so that you can better decide whether you still want to move to Honolulu or rather want to move to a different place instead.

Disadvantages of Living in Honolulu

1. Living costs in Honolulu are pretty high
2. Property prices have skyrocketed over the past decades
3. Rents are pretty high in Honolulu
4. Financial pressure in Honolulu is enormous
5. Many people struggle to make a decent living in Honolulu
6. Increasing level of inequality in Honolulu
7. Unemployment rate is above national average
8. Honolulu doesn’t have many great sports teams
9. Honolulu is an island
10. Many locals may leave Honolulu
11. Honolulu is pretty hot
12. You may miss real seasons in Honolulu
13. Hard to find world-class education in Honolulu

Living costs in Honolulu are pretty high

One downside to living in Honolulu is that living costs are pretty high.

In fact, if you buy groceries or go out for a drink, everything is pretty expensive and you will therefore have to spend a high fraction of your disposable income on basic things of daily life.

Property prices have skyrocketed over the past decades

Not only living costs are high, but also property prices have skyrocketed in Honolulu over the past decade and this means that many people can no longer afford to buy a decent home and live the American dream in Honolulu.

Rents are pretty high in Honolulu

You should also know that even in case you don’t want to buy a home, you would still have to spend lots of money on housing since rents are pretty high as well and if rents increase further, the average person will no longer be able to afford to live in Honolulu.

Financial pressure in Honolulu is enormous

Since everything is so expensive, financial pressure in Honolulu is enormous and in case you lose your job, you may get into serious financial trouble pretty quickly.

Many people struggle to make a decent living in Honolulu

Since living costs are pretty high, many people in Honolulu become increasingly desperate since they no longer know how to pay their bills and this may also translate into significant mental issues in the long run.

Increasing level of inequality in Honolulu

Another downside to moving to Honolulu is that due to increasing property prices and rents, there is also an increasing level of inequality since while landlords benefit from this development, tenants are often no longer able to pay rent in a reliable manner and may even end up homeless sooner or later.

Unemployment rate is above national average

You should also know that unemployment rate in Honolulu is above national average and in case you lose your job and don’t have good education, you may end up unemployed in the long run and may no longer be able to pay your bills.

Honolulu doesn’t have many great sports teams

Honolulu also doesn’t have as many great sports teams as many other big cities and if you are a sports enthusiast who wants to watch many different sports games in person, you may be better off moving to NYC or other more popular places in this regard.

Honolulu is an island

While many people like island life, you should also know that you will not have the same opportunity to make nice road trips with your family compared to the rest of the US and you will also have to take a flight to reach the mainland.

Many locals may leave Honolulu

Since many locals are no longer able to afford living in Honolulu, many of them consider moving to a cheaper place and this would take away part of the city’s charm and may lower overall quality of life in the long run.

Honolulu is pretty hot

Another disadvantage of living in Honolulu is that it is a pretty hot place and while many people like the heat, others can’t stand tropical weather at all and if you belong to the second group of people, you will be better off moving to Chicago or other colder places instead.

You may miss real seasons in Honolulu

Since it will be warm all year long, you will also miss real seasons in Honolulu and may get really bored with the climate in Honolulu in the long run.

Hard to find world-class education in Honolulu

While you will find solid schools, you will still have a much harder time finding world-class education compared to people living in Boston or other more prestigious places in this regard.

Top 10 Moving To Honolulu Pros & Cons – Summary List

Is Honolulu A Good Place To Live?

While moving to Honolulu can make quite a lot of sense since you can enjoy awesome weather, can make good money and will find everything you need to live a happy life, you should also know that Honolulu is a pretty expensive place where many people really struggle to pay for rent and other expenses of daily life.

Alternative Cities To Live In

If you don’t want to move to Honolulu anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Tampa

Advantages and disadvantages of living in Cleveland

Advantages and disadvantages of living in New Orleans

Sources

https://www.honolulu.gov/

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.