Quality of life comparison
If you lived in Hawaii instead of California, you would:
Health
live 1.7 years longer
In California, the average life expectancy is 79 years (78 years for men, 83 years for women) as of 2020. In Hawaii, that number is 81 years (78 years for men, 84 years for women) as of 2020.
Economy
be 56.9% less likely to be unemployed
In California, 5.1% of adults are unemployed as of 2025. In Hawaii, that number is 2.2% as of 2025.
be 16.2% less likely to live below the poverty line
In California, 11.7% live below the poverty line as of 2023. In Hawaii, however, that number is 9.8% as of 2023.
make 23.7% less money
California has a GDP per capita of $84,028 as of 2024, while in Hawaii, the GDP per capita is $64,124 as of 2024.
Safety
be 62.8% less likely to be a victim of violent crime
California has a violent crime rate of 503 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Hawaii, that number is 187 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 27.4% less likely to be a victim of property crime
California has a property crime rate of 2,303 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Hawaii, that number is 1,672 per 100,000 as of 2023.
Housing & Income
be 12.2% more likely to own your home
In California, 55.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied as of 2023. In Hawaii, that number is 62.6% as of 2023.
pay 16.2% more for a home
The median home value in California is $695,400 as of 2023, compared to $808,200 in Hawaii as of 2023.
Lifestyle
commute 2.6 minutes less
The average one-way commute in California takes 29.0 minutes as of 2023. In Hawaii, it takes 26.4 minutes as of 2023.
be 47.1% less likely to be uninsured
In California, 6.8% of the population is without health insurance as of 2023. In Hawaii, that number is 3.6% as of 2023.
live among residents who are 3.0 years older on average
The median age in California is 37.6 years as of 2023. In Hawaii, the median age is 40.6 years as of 2023.
live in an area that is 10.6% less densely populated
California has a population density of 97.0 people per sq km as of 2023. In Hawaii, that number is 86.7 people per sq km as of 2023.
be 41.0% less likely to have a foreign-born neighbor
In California, 12.2% of the population was born outside the US as of 2023. In Hawaii, that number is 7.2% as of 2023.
be 14.4% more likely to be food insecure
In California, 10.4% of the population is food insecure as of 2021. In Hawaii, that number is 11.9% as of 2021.
The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: Feeding America, OECD Regional Demography, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), Bureau of Economic Analysis, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting.
