How Much You Need To Make To Live Comfortably in Hawaii’s 14 Largest Areas
Paradise isn’t cheap, and anyone who has tried to rent a one-bedroom in Honolulu already knows it. Still, Hawaii keeps pulling in newcomers with salary plans that look great on paper and fall apart at the first rent check.
The real question isn’t whether you can afford Hawaii, but where. Your target salary depends heavily on which island community you choose, and the gap between the cheapest and priciest spots is wider than most people expect. Here’s how the numbers stack up.
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Please note, the estimates assume one adult rents a one-bedroom home and earns enough to cover basic expenses plus a 20% cushion for savings, nonessential spending and unexpected costs.
Key Findings
Hilo has the lowest estimated salary requirement at $62,500, followed by Pearl City at $63,200 and Waipahu at $64,100.
East Honolulu and Kailua on Oahu have the highest estimated salary requirements, both at about $87,600.
Urban Honolulu ranks fifth-lowest despite being Hawaii’s largest community by far.
Here is how much a single adult may need to earn in Hawaii’s 14 largest communities.
1. Hilo
Population: 50,404
Median household income: $81,779
Annual basic expenses: $41,184
Estimated salary needed: $62,500
2. Pearl City
Population: 44,547
Median household income: $118,112
Annual basic expenses: $41,653
Estimated salary needed: $63,200
3. Waipahu
Population: 40,482
Median household income: $103,895
Annual basic expenses: $42,205
Estimated salary needed: $64,100
4. Kahului
Population: 28,288
Median household income: $98,077
Annual basic expenses: $43,154
Estimated salary needed: $65,700
5. Urban Honolulu
Population: 345,482
Median household income: $86,504
Annual basic expenses: $47,413
Estimated salary needed: $73,700
6. Ewa Gentry
Population: 26,563
Median household income: $135,684
Annual basic expenses: $48,781
Estimated salary needed: $76,300
7. Mililani Mauka
Population: 21,278
Median household income: $138,942
Annual basic expenses: $48,913
Estimated salary needed: $76,600
8. Kaneohe
Population: 37,355
Median household income: $125,613
Annual basic expenses: $49,237
Estimated salary needed: $77,200
9. Mililani Town
Population: 27,668
Median household income: $127,363
Annual basic expenses: $49,309
Estimated salary needed: $77,300
10. Kailua-Kona
Population: 21,818
Median household income: $88,211
Annual basic expenses: $49,908
Estimated salary needed: $78,500
11. Kapolei
Population: 22,232
Median household income: $128,324
Annual basic expenses: $50,553
Estimated salary needed: $79,700
12. Kihei
Population: 21,567
Median household income: $87,772
Annual basic expenses: $51,566
Estimated salary needed: $81,700
13. Kailua, Oahu
Population: 39,640
Median household income: $148,582
Annual basic expenses: $54,649
Estimated salary needed: $87,600
14. East Honolulu
Population: 51,360
Median household income: $159,518
Annual basic expenses: $54,685
Estimated salary needed: $87,600
What To Consider Before Moving to Hawaii
Housing accounts for much of the difference between communities. One-bedroom median gross rent ranges from $946 in Hilo to $2,231 in East Honolulu. However, choosing the lowest-rent location does not guarantee the easiest or most affordable lifestyle.
As William Boynton, founder of HomeScore, put it when asked about the tradeoffs across Hawaii communities: “The cheaper home is not always the cheaper life.”
Honolulu may cost more, but it also puts you closer to more jobs, stores, doctors and other services. In smaller communities, lower housing costs can come with longer drives and fewer job options.
Remember: Your target salary is a starting point, not a verdict. Pick the community whose tradeoffs you can live with, and make sure your income clears the bar before the moving truck does. Hawaii is still worth the move for plenty of people. Just don’t let the postcards do your budgeting.
Methodology: For this study, MoneyLion analyzed Hawaii’s 14 most populous census-designated places to estimate the income a single adult with no children would need to live comfortably. Population and median household income were sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2024 American Community Survey five-year estimates. Median gross rent for one-bedroom units was sourced from ACS Table B25031. Kapolei did not have a published one-bedroom rent estimate in ACS Table B25031, so MoneyLion used MIT’s county-level housing estimate for one adult in Honolulu County. County-level nonhousing expenses for food, transportation, medical care, internet and other necessities were sourced from the MIT Living Wage Calculator for each county. MoneyLion added each location’s annual one-bedroom rent to its county-level nonhousing expenses, then added a 20% cushion for savings, discretionary spending and unexpected costs, based on the 50/30/20 budgeting rule. MoneyLion converted that after-tax target into an estimated pretax salary for a single W-2 employee using 2026 federal and Hawaii income tax rules, plus Social Security and Medicare taxes. Data was collected July 29, 2026.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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