State relocation profile · Federal data
Hawaii
Hawaii sits in the dearer third of BEA RPP states, rent, wages, safety, schools and childcare below.
- 110.0
- Cost index (US=100)
- $2,433
- 2BR rent / mo
- $73,975
- Median salary
- 32.5
- Life Score
The verdict
As of June 2026, Hawaii ranks #51 of 51 scored US states on the composite Life Score (32.5/100, F), with its strongest marks in wages and safety.
- #51 of 51
- Life Score among scored states
- 32.5
- Life Score · F
- 110.0
- Cost of living (US=100)
- $73,975
- Median annual salary (BLS)
Weakest dimension: rent (0/100). State-level figures are a benchmark, individual metros can diverge sharply, so weigh each dimension against your own priorities.
According to PlainRelocate's state Life Score composite (BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA inputs), Hawaii ranks #51 of 51 scored US states by Life Score (highest score = #1). Cost-of-living index 110.0 (100 = national average), median 2-bedroom rent $2,433/mo, median salary $73,975; Life Score 32.5/100 (F), strongest in wages and safety.
Signature: Life Score 32.5/100 places Hawaii #51 of 51 (bottom third of scored states).
Purchasing power tightens: BEA RPP 110.0 lands in the dearer third of US states (cuts at 93.3 / 100.7). HUD 2BR Fair Market Rent averages $2,433/mo statewide, against a BLS median salary of $73,975.
Composite Life Score 32.5/100 (F) puts Hawaii in the bottom third (#51 of 51).
Metro book is thin (2 MSAs); the statewide profile is closer to the labor market you will actually live in.
Life Score plate
Sheet HI · Hawaii 32.5/100 · F · #51 of 51
LIFE-F · RANK-BOTTOM · PHOTO-FINISH · RPP-DEAR · LEAD-WAGES · BOOK-FULL
- LIFE-F Life Score F
- RANK-BOTTOM #51/51
- PHOTO-FINISH ±0.1 pts
- RPP-DEAR RPP 110.0
- LEAD-WAGES Lead · wages
- BOOK-FULL 7/7 dims
Nearest Life Score peer: Massachusetts (+ 0.1 pts)
Instrument codes from this state’s Life Score grade, corpus rank, peer gap, BEA RPP posture, lead dimension, and dimension book, not a moving recommendation.
Life Score neighbourhood around Hawaii
Lowest/highest poles plus states nearest Hawaii on composite Life Score. Full ladder: /rankings/.
Hawaii childcare costs
DOL state-average center rates for Hawaii (infant $15,330/yr leads the book).
Hawaii Life Score breakdown
Hawaii composites to 32.5/100 (F) across 7 of 7 dimensions; corpus place #51 of 51.
Hawaii - Life Score dimensions
Percentile vs all US states (100 = best in the nation for that dimension)
- Wages
Wages
80 /100
- Safety
Safety
66 /100
- Schools
Schools
42 /100
- Childcare 18
Childcare
18 /100
- Cost of living 2
Cost of living
2 /100
- Environment 2
Environment
2 /100
- Rent 0
Rent
0 /100
What this shows Hawaii's strongest dimensions are wages and safety; its weakest among scored dims is rent at 0/100. Each dimension is a federal-data percentile; the composite folds 7 of 7 into one comparable figure.
States near Hawaii on cost or Life Score
Nearest neighbors to Hawaii on BEA RPP or composite Life Score, a different lens than the in-state metro list below.
Similar cost of living (BEA RPP)
Metros in Hawaii
Explore detailed relocation data for 2 metropolitan areas in Hawaii. Hawaii contains 2 metropolitan statistical areas in our dataset - Kahului-Wailuku, Urban Honolulu - each with its own rent, wage and crime profile that can diverge sharply from the statewide average.
Kahului-Wailuku metro · Compare metros · Cost vs quality · Methodology
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities, HUD Fair Market Rents, BLS OES, FBI UCR, NCES, DOL, EPA June 2026
Hawaii cost figures follow BEA Regional Price Parities and HUD Fair Market Rents; Hawaii wages and safety follow BLS OEWS and FBI UCR. Research use only, verify at the agency source before you move.