Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Health, Wealth & Homelessness
By most social indicators, life is good. In 2012 Hawaii was ranked the fourth-healthiest
state in the nation, with a low uninsured population. Over 75% of residents graduate
from high school in four years, and nearly 30% have a bachelor's degree or higher (both
above the national average). Unemployment, which dropped to 5.2% in early 2013, was
much lower than the national average. Violent crimes occur 40 percent less often than on
the mainland. Despite the mass quantities of Spam consumed in the islands, Hawaii had
the fourth-lowest obesity rate in the US in 2011. In 2010 Hawaii's median annual house-
hold income ($58,507) ranked eighth and its poverty rate (9.6%) was fifth lowest among
US states.
That last statistic, however, glosses over glaring inequity in the distribution of wealth.
While there are a large number of wealthy locals and mainland transplants with magnifi-
cent estates and vacation homes skewing the average, there's a much larger number of
locals, particularly Pacific Islanders, struggling with poverty and all the social ills that
come with it. The state is currently trying to control one of the highest rates of ice (crys-
tal methamphetamine) abuse in the US, a problem that leads to a significant percentage
of the robberies and violent crimes.
Homelessness remains another serious concern: on average, 6000 people are homeless
statewide. Most telling about the cost of living in Hawaii, however, is this statistic: up to
42% of homeless people are employed, but still can't make ends meet. Sprawling tent
communities regularly pop up at beach parks and other public areas. Every now and then
police disperse them, but the problem is never solved - only moved.
Costs of Living & Commuting
Honolulu has the third-highest cost of living among US cities (behind New York City's
Manhattan and Brooklyn boroughs). Utility bills average three times higher than those on
the mainland and grocery bills are exorbitant because over 85% of all food is imported.
Limited land area (especially in a place where 20% of the land is controlled by the US
military) leads to sky-high real-estate prices and many locals are unable to buy a home.
Though home prices fell in 2008 as they did in the rest of the US, they didn't slide nearly
as far. The median price of a home on Oʻahu in 2012 was $600,000. One study found
that nearly 50% of renters and homeowners spent 30% or more of their income on hous-
ing. The most affordable housing isn't close to the majority of jobs (near resort areas),
resulting in long commutes and nightmarish traffic jams. Honolulu is currently debating
- hotly - whether to build a multibillion-dollar light-rail system to relieve the congestion,
which is only likely to get worse as more middle-class housing developments grow in the
city's suburbs.
