Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater → Kahului-Wailuku
Relocation analysis based on 7 federal data sources
Should you move?
Moving from Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater to Kahului-Wailuku is neutral, depends on priorities: BEA regional price parity goes from 100.9 to 109.4 (US = 100), and HUD 2-bedroom rent rises by $515/mo.
- +$4,300
- BLS median salary higher in Kahului-Wailuku
- 210 to 230
- violent crimes per 100K (FBI UCR, state-level)
- 17.8:1 to 14.1:1
- NCES student-teacher ratio
- $4,825
- DOL infant care higher / yr in Kahului-Wailuku
BEA Regional Price Parity, HUD Fair Market Rent, BLS OEWS, FBI UCR, NCES, and DOL. The table below lets you override the composite with your own priorities.
Pros of Moving
- + $4K higher median salary
- + Better student-teacher ratios
- + Fewer environmental violations
Cons of Moving
- - 9% higher cost of living
- - $515/mo more expensive rent (2BR)
- - More expensive childcare
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP rises from 100.9 to 109.4, so the same paycheck buys less in Kahului-Wailuku (ratio 1.08). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent rises $515/mo ($6,180/yr) from $1,977 in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater to $2,492 in Kahului-Wailuku.
The seven-dimension ledger splits (3 destination wins · 4 origin wins); priorities decide this move. Kahului-Wailuku sits #155 of 387 metros on PlainRelocate livability (middle third). Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater is #338/387 on the same ranking. Composite verdict: Neutral, depends on priorities. Override it with the dimension table below.
BLS OEWS median salary moves $4,300 higher ($68,404 → $72,704). Labor-market size: 1,402,180 tracked jobs at origin vs 67,610 at destination.
State retirement friendliness is near-even: Florida 62 (C, #23/51) vs Hawaii 56 (D, #33/51). Full state tax and healthcare sub-scores sit in the retirement desk below.
State retirement friendliness
Primary-state scores from PlainRelocate's retirement registry (tax + healthcare + climate composite). Metro pairs use each metro's primary state abbreviation.
- Income tax
- 100
- Property tax
- 67
- Estate tax
- 100
- Healthcare
- 12
- Income tax
- 72
- Property tax
- 96
- Estate tax
- 50
- Healthcare
- 58
Full retirement ranking · Source composite documented on methodology (Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides + federal healthcare/climate inputs).
Salary Adjustment Calculator
Enter your current salary in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater to see what you'd need to earn in Kahului-Wailuku to maintain the same purchasing power.
Kahului-Wailuku metro profile · Livability rankings · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA; retirement desk: Tax Foundation + AARP tax guides June 2026