After taking my family on a nine-day vacation to Honolulu, Hawaii, my plan to relocate there is back in the cards! Since 2014, two years after retiring from my finance job, I’ve been contemplating moving back to Honolulu to spend more time with my parents. However, actually making the move has been much harder than expected.
Just as financially insecure people often tell themselves “just one more year” before retiring, I’ve been saying “maybe next year” about moving to Honolulu for the past 10 years!
The thing is, life keeps getting in the way. First, we had a son in 2017, then a daughter in 2019, and the pandemic made us crave stability and familiarity. Our son got into a school he enjoys immensely, and now our daughter has joined the same school, which we believe she’ll also enjoy. As a result, the inertia of life has kept us in San Francisco.
However, with my parents now in their mid-70s, the time to spend more time with them is now. Our kids also handled their longest time away from home well. Although, they complained about the heat, they missed it once we returned.
My concerns about them adjusting to a new environment have diminished.
The Challenges of Living in Honolulu, Hawaii
There are three main challenges of living in Honolulu: housing, food, and work. If you plan to send your children to private school, affording the tuition and getting accepted are also significant challenges.
Let’s discuss each challenge if you’re considering living and working in Honolulu. If you have ever lived and worked in Honolulu or currently do, I’d love your insights as well.
Honolulu’s High Home Prices
Honolulu boasts one of the highest median home prices in the nation at roughly $1,050,000. Meanwhile, Zillow has the median Honolulu home
