Ive been to Hawaii three times and I loved it. It would be the perfect place to live except for the Hawaiians themselves. Ghetto culture and attitudes have infested their mentality. Not all of them but the young for sure.
This is true particularly in many of the rural parts. There is an almost racist animosity that exists towards haoles
(white people). The cost of living is very high, but it's not much different than any other big city. Housing is very expensive. No getting around that. But if you can find a place you can afford, the rest isn't "too" unbearable.
In exchange for the high cost of living, you get weather of about 82 to 85 degrees year round, beautiful beaches, mountains, clean air, and terrific people. The way of life is just different. Slower pace. Friendly.
The violent crime rate is among the lowest in the nation, and most of HI's violent crime is domestic.
The property crime rate, however, is among the highest in the nation. People will break into to your car and your house. Usually crack heads.
Taxes are high, which sucks. It's also a one-party state
(Democrats), and the taxes are high. It's not very business friendly because of the high taxes. Lots of state government regulation too.
Employment wise, it's pretty good. The unemployment rate is usually lower than the national average. There are usually a lot of opportunities in the healthcare field.
If you have kids, the public school system sucks. Most folks who can afford to send their kids to private school do so.
