Hawai’i Public Radio: 75% of middle-income households may or will leave Hawaiʻi, affordability survey finds

Photo credit: Hawaiʻi Public Radio

Hawaiʻi Public Radio
November 20, 2025
By Ashley Mizuo

The results of a new survey show that almost half of middle-income workers are unsure if they will have to leave Hawaiʻi to go to a less expensive state.

Holomua Collective, a nonprofit focused on affordability issues in Hawaiʻi, asked over 3,000 local workers about cost-of-living issues.

Another 30% of respondents were sure they would have to move somewhere more affordable.

The survey focuses on middle-income households, most of which make above $100,000 a year in a three-person household.