Even with low oil prices, the deck is stacked against farmers like Richard Ha on the Big Island. But some argue new strategies can turn things around.

Flickr

Living Hawaii: New Studies Show The Price Of Paradise Is Still Defeating Us

By Eric Pape / January 11, 2016

When it comes to buying power and the rising cost of living, we still haven't fully recovered from the Great Recession.

Living Hawaii: Did Houston Have A Solution?

By Eric Pape / December 24, 2015

We check back in with a Honolulu family who moved to Texas in 2014 to escape Oahu's high cost of living and dismal buying power. Here's how that turned out.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Is Cheap Oil NextEra’s Enemy?

By Eric Pape / December 18, 2015

The substantial drop in oil prices has complicated NextEra’s bid for Hawaiian Electric, and could make it harder for Hawaii to accept the company.

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Living Hawaii: Kauai’s Search For Cheaper Electricity

By Eric Pape / November 25, 2015

A time-of-use pilot project on Kauai is expected to bring down costs for people who sign up for it. But it could have future payoffs for all customers.

Education

Flickr.com/Todd Huffman

Living Hawaii: The Pipe Dream Of Teaching In Paradise Goes Global

By Eric Pape, Jessica Terrell / April 26, 2016

Unemployed college graduates, Hawaii wants you! The islands need you! And they'll pay a lot for you! Or so the viral story goes -- and goes.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Can You Afford To Be A Teacher In The Islands?

By Eric Pape, Jessica Terrell / February 2, 2016

The cost of living weighs so heavily on schoolteachers that many fear they will never get ahead if they stay here.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Many Families Sacrifice to Put Kids in Private Schools

By Alia Wong / March 17, 2014

One in seven school-age children in the state attend private schools — the highest percentage in the nation.

Rents & Real Estate

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Our Surprising Property Tax Poison

By Eric Pape / March 21, 2016

It may seem counterintuitive, but our low property tax rates in the islands add to our high cost of living.

Flickr

Living Hawaii: New Studies Show The Price Of Paradise Is Still Defeating Us

By Eric Pape / January 11, 2016

When it comes to buying power and the rising cost of living, we still haven't fully recovered from the Great Recession.

Eric Pape/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Rooftop Solar Boosts Home Values

By Eric Pape / November 17, 2015

Amid changing incentives, home solar may take more time to pay off. But how does it affect resale values?

Eric Pape/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: It’s The Land That Really Drives Up Honolulu’s Home Prices

By Eric Pape / November 13, 2015

On Oahu, it's the lack of locations, locations, locations.

D.R. Horton's Schuler Division

Living Hawaii: So You Say You Want To End The Housing Crisis?

By Eric Pape / November 9, 2015

Real estate analysts and experts contend we could make great strides toward producing the housing we need by losing some of our regulations.

Living Hawaii: Why Are Honolulu Rents Getting More Expensive?

By Eric Pape / August 11, 2015

Housing costs — the greatest expense in most people's lives — are poised to continue their rise in the coming years. What's true on the mainland may be even more true in the islands.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Elevating the Discussion About Tiny Homes and Housing

By Eric Pape / August 7, 2015

A simple but innovative housing concept could help respond to a key component of Hawaii’s high cost of living.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: How Military Policies Drive Up Rents on Oahu

By Eric Pape / June 17, 2015

Service members who live off the base enjoy housing allowances that surpass fair market rental prices. That, real estate analysts say, helps push up rents.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Boost Property Taxes on Out-of-State Owners to Ease Housing Costs

By Eric Pape / June 9, 2015

Sharply increasing the property tax that applies to some non-occupant homeowners could help bring down the cost of living, especially on Oahu. Here's why.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: How Island Appeal Adds to the Nation’s Highest Rents

By Eric Pape / June 4, 2015

When it comes to rents and real estate, the state’s middle class can’t compete with the endless pool of people who want to move here.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Middle-Class Millionaires

By Eric Pape / February 5, 2015

The high cost of living in the islands is changing the meaning of "looks like a million bucks."

Flickr: Dawn Ellner

Living Hawaii: Why the Islands Need Mobile Homes — and Don’t Have Them

By Eric Pape / January 26, 2015

Manufactured housing communities can help bring down our cost of living, but stereotypes, land costs, regulations and a lack of will have conspired to block them.

Flickr.com: M. Shawn Hennessy

Living Hawaii: Where Real Estate Is King

By Eric Pape / January 12, 2015

A key driver of our cost of living is the high price of land. A collision of interests and actions push its value upward.

Living Hawaii: The Little Solution to the Big Housing Crisis

By Eric Pape / December 15, 2014

On islands where real estate is so precious, how small do we need to think to bring down the cost of living?

Living Hawaii: One Remedy for Out-of-Control Rents

By Eric Pape / December 3, 2014

Many factors conspiring to create Hawaii’s housing crisis inspired the implementation of rent stabilization elsewhere. Could rent control help with our high cost of living?

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Where the Rent Is Too Damn High

By Eric Pape / November 25, 2014

Islanders pay far more on average than in any other state to live in rentals — and that's just the beginning.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Priced Out of Paradise — Where $600K Is a Bargain Home

By Anita Hofschneider / January 7, 2014

Is there a solution to the high cost of houses in Hawaii?

Energy

Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: How Much Are You Saving On Gas and Electricity?

By Eric Pape / March 16, 2016

Hawaii's long-term gamble on oil has cost residents plenty, but more recently it has been paying off. We decided to find out how much.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Is Cheap Oil NextEra’s Enemy?

By Eric Pape / December 18, 2015

The substantial drop in oil prices has complicated NextEra’s bid for Hawaiian Electric, and could make it harder for Hawaii to accept the company.

Kauai Island Utility Cooperative

Living Hawaii: Kauai’s Search For Cheaper Electricity

By Eric Pape / November 25, 2015

A time-of-use pilot project on Kauai is expected to bring down costs for people who sign up for it. But it could have future payoffs for all customers.

Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Two-Thirds Of An Electricity Price Revolution?

By Eric Pape / November 20, 2015

Hawaiian Electric wants to offer shockingly lower rates to customers — at least for part of the day.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Gov David Ige Talks About The State’s Energy Future

By Eric Pape / November 2, 2015

The state’s chief executive discusses the road map to a renewable energy revolution, the NextEra-HECO merger and hopes for affordable electricity.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Henk Rogers And His Quest For Energy Independence

By Eric Pape / October 29, 2015

The game designer and tech entrepreneur wants to make living off the grid safe, reliable and affordable.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Why Is Hawaiian Electric Ready To Cash Out?

By Eric Pape / October 26, 2015

A company that thrived for more than a century in the islands is ready to sell. It is a good deal for executives and, the power company’s CEO argues, for the rest of us, too.

Flickr

Living Hawaii: Does Hawaiian Electric Need to Be More Like Uber?

By Eric Pape / October 19, 2015

If the power company became more like the ride-hailing service in its pricing system and motivations, it might help bring down electricity prices.

Eric Pape/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Can We End Our Oil Addiction With the Help of Electric Cars, Buses and Rail?

By Eric Pape / October 12, 2015

Not all electricity is created equal. Maximize daytime demand for the product, and we might wean ourselves off oil and reduce the cost of living in the islands.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: HECO President Says Cheap Electricity Is a Pipe Dream in Hawaii

By Eric Pape / October 5, 2015

The head of Hawaiian Electric Co. talks about Hawaii’s 2045 renewable energy goals and how unique conditions help keep the islands' power bills so high.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Electric Rebellion

By Eric Pape / September 17, 2015

Opponents of the status quo are pushing for an energy revolution. The ultimate question, though, is about cost.

Paul Bica/Flickr

Living Hawaii: Why We Need a Low-Cost Road to Renewable Energy

By Eric Pape / September 10, 2015

Given Hawaii's high cost of living, the state may not meet its ambitious renewable energy goals without first lowering the nation's highest electricity rates.

istock.com

Living Hawaii: NextEra ‘Chaos’ Is About Crafting a Better Deal for Hawaii Consumers

By Eric Pape / September 8, 2015

Opponents of NextEra Energy’s $4.3 billion bid to buy Hawaiian Electric have publicly blasted the merger. But that posturing has sparked negotiations that over the next few months should lead to more benefits and cost-savings for consumers.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: How Cheaper Energy Could Change Our Lives

By Eric Pape / August 31, 2015

Hawaii is making a big-money gamble as it shifts from oil-powered electric generation to renewable energy sources, infusing the industry with its own new energy.

Living Hawaii: How Come Our Electric Bills Are Still So High?

By Sophie Cocke / March 2, 2015

Oil prices dropped by half, but Hawaii electricity rates decreased just 18 percent. How is that possible?

Food

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: What Is Sapping The Energy Of Our Farmers?

By Eric Pape / January 19, 2016

Even with low oil prices, the deck is stacked against farmers like Richard Ha on the Big Island. But some argue new strategies can turn things around.

Slobo Mitic/Getty Images

Living Hawaii: Where Are You, Trader Joe’s?

By Eric Pape / October 23, 2014

The popular affordable-food chain seems like a no-brainer for Hawaii and our high cost of living.

Living Hawaii: Could Removing State Taxes on Food Make it Cheaper?

By Anita Hofschneider / January 27, 2014

Because Hawaii has a general excise tax not a sales tax, it's hard to tell.

Living Hawaii: Big Island Beer Can Cost More Here Than in Manhattan

By Adrienne LaFrance / October 7, 2013

Even the islands' signature "local" beer is bottled on the mainland.

Living Hawaii: Where Milk Can Cost as Much as Wine

By Adrienne LaFrance / October 3, 2013

Ever wonder why a gallon of milk costs $3 more on Oahu than in New York City?

Human Impact

Living Hawaii: Did Houston Have A Solution?

By Eric Pape / December 24, 2015

We check back in with a Honolulu family who moved to Texas in 2014 to escape Oahu's high cost of living and dismal buying power. Here's how that turned out.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Can We Un-corner Markets in Our Over-Priced State?

By Eric Pape / August 18, 2015

Could economic disruption reach some of Hawaii's most prominent companies and lower our cost of living in the islands?

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: How Do You Pay the Price of Paradise?

By Eric Pape / February 23, 2015

We want to know how you face off with the cost of living. Does it turn your life into a tragedy, a dark comedy, a fever dream or something else?

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: The American Dream Is Broken for the Middle Class

By Eric Pape / February 11, 2015

The cost of living has eaten away at Honolulu residents' incomes, raising profound questions about many people's future.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: You Might Be Surprised at Who Else Is Snagged by High Costs

By Eric Pape / November 17, 2014

When Duke Aiona campaigned for governor against the state's high cost of living, he was speaking from personal experience.

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Houston, We’ve Got a Problem

By Eric Pape / September 29, 2014

Hawaii's cost of living convinced a Honolulu family to go prospecting for a new life in Texas. "We realized staying is stupid," says Nora Yolles-Young.

Retirement

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Where Life Isn’t as Expensive for Military Veterans

By Eric Pape / May 26, 2015

The islands are a pretty good place for military retirees who are more insulated from the high cost of living than the rest of us.

flickr.com/aag_photos

Living Hawaii: Our Retirement Boom May Cost Us Dearly

By Eric Pape / May 19, 2015

People live longest in the country's most expensive state. They're putting off retirement or planning to work until they drop. It all comes at a price.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Who Can Afford to Retire in the Islands?

By Eric Pape / January 28, 2015

The cost of living, especially housing, has convinced a Honolulu couple to spend their golden years on the mainland. Others will follow.

Families & Children

Courtesy of Bridget Coila via Flickr

Living Hawaii: Babies — First the Good News

By Alia Wong / July 21, 2014

Giving birth on the islands is relatively cheap, but the high cost of goods and services makes raising a child here an expensive proposition.

Living Hawaii: Where Child Care Can Cost More Than College

By Alia Wong / May 1, 2014

The average cost for infant care is nearly one and a half times more than in-state tuition at UH Manoa.

Additional Articles

Living Hawaii: Why Our Salaries Aren’t Rising Faster

By Eric Pape / April 25, 2016

Unemployment is very low but that hasn't worked out to more money in workers' pockets.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Do We Need A $15 Minimum Wage?

By Eric Pape / April 13, 2016

Can America’s most expensive state afford to pay a livable wage? More to the point, can it afford not to?

PF Bentley/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: In The Islands, Does ‘Middle Class’ Mean Poor?

By Eric Pape / March 31, 2016

Residents' paychecks may imply they're middle class, but many endure cost-of-living pressures commonly associated with poverty.

NASA

Living Hawaii: Survey Finds Honolulu One of the World’s Costliest Cities

By Eric Pape / September 22, 2015

New data suggests that Hawaii's middle class may have lost more ground in 2014.

Flickr: RambergMediaImages

Living Hawaii: Honolulu Is the Nation’s Most Expensive City for Singles

By Eric Pape / August 28, 2015

By any measure, the state capital is one America's priciest cities, but it is particularly bad for people who are solo.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: Many Residents Are Leaving High-Priced Honolulu

By Eric Pape / July 31, 2015

Like the state, the capital’s population is increasing, but that doesn’t mean the high cost of living isn't driving lots of people out.

Flickr.com

Living Hawaii: The Nation’s Worst Place to Earn a Living

By Eric Pape / July 6, 2015

The cost of housing, as well as salaries that don’t keep up, drag Hawaii down in a national ranking.

Flickr: Bill Sodeman

Living Hawaii: Bridging the Space Between Islands Could Lower Costs

By Eric Pape / June 25, 2015

An interisland ferry system and kamaaina discounts on air travel could stimulate economic activity, create jobs and lower prices — especially on the neighbor islands.

Courtesy Pearl City High School

Living Hawaii: Some Reasons Not to Start a Career in Honolulu

By Eric Pape / May 12, 2015

The high cost of living is key to why Honolulu ranks low on a list of cities for career-starting potential.

Chad Blair/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: You Are Not Alone — The Toll of the Price of Paradise

By Eric Pape / May 8, 2015

The cost of living has a way of isolating us. As we seek to overcome it, we need to come together and share our stories.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: The Jones Act, the Cost of Living and the Search for the Truth

By Eric Pape / May 4, 2015

A definitive study is needed to move forward in the cost-versus-jobs debate, so why won’t objective research bodies take it on?

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Living Hawaii: The Jones Act Pays Off — in Politics

By Eric Pape / April 27, 2015

The state’s delegation in Washington, D.C., enjoys outsized donations from maritime lobbyists, but several members told Civil Beat this doesn't affect their stances.

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