Moving to Hawaii from Delaware

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What to Expect

Considering a move from Delaware to Hawaii? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Delaware to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 25.2% more expensive than Delaware. A $75,000 salary in Delaware would need to be roughly $98,557 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 66°F in Dover, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Delaware and Hawaii.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $98,557

To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 40.7% more

Groceries

pay 80.3% more

Transportation

pay 31.6% more

Housing

pay 31.8% more

Childcare

pay 28.8% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.5% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

Key Indicator Comparison

The numbers behind daily life in Hawaii compared to Delaware.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

DE
370
HI
187
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

DE
1831
HI
1672

Hawaii performs significantly better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Uninsured rate US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of people without health insurance

DE
5.8%
HI
3.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

DE
38.4%
HI
25.6%

Hawaii performs significantly better than Delaware across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What about housing?

Median home value US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical price of a home

DE
$326,800
HI
$808,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

DE
$1,341
HI
$1,938

Delaware performs better than Hawaii across all what about housing? metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Internet access US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of households with internet

DE
91.5%
HI
91.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

DE
26 min
HI
26 min

Delaware performs better than Hawaii across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

DE
5.1%
HI
2.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

DE
$80,523
HI
$64,124

Hawaii generally does better on employment & economy, though Delaware leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

DE
76.7 yrs
HI
80.7 yrs
Bachelor's degree or higher US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

share of adults with a 4-year college degree

DE
24%
HI
25%

Hawaii performs significantly better than Delaware across all family life metrics.

Data: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, OECD Regional Demography, US Census Bureau (American Community Survey)

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Dover Rain: 46.1 in/yr (1170 mm)
66° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Honolulu Rain: 17.1 in/yr (434 mm)
84° / 71°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Dover Honolulu
Jan–Mar 48°/31°F (9°/-1°C) 80°/67°F (27°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 75°/54°F (24°/12°C) 85°/71°F (29°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 84°/65°F (29°/18°C) 89°/74°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 58°/40°F (15°/4°C) 84°/71°F (29°/22°C)
View all months
Month Dover Honolulu
Jan 43°/27°F (6.3°/-2.7°C) 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C)
Feb 47°/29°F (8.3°/-1.7°C) 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C)
Mar 55°/36°F (12.7°/2.0°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C)
Apr 66°/44°F (18.7°/6.8°C) 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C)
May 75°/54°F (23.7°/12.1°C) 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C)
Jun 83°/63°F (28.4°/17.4°C) 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C)
Jul 87°/68°F (30.6°/20.2°C) 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C)
Aug 85°/67°F (29.6°/19.4°C) 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C)
Sep 79°/60°F (26.3°/15.6°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C)
Oct 69°/49°F (20.4°/9.3°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C)
Nov 58°/40°F (14.7°/4.3°C) 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C)
Dec 47°/31°F (8.6°/-0.6°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/20.2°C)

Data: National Weather Service National Weather Service

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Hawaii than Delaware?

On average Hawaii is around 31% pricier than Delaware, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?

Budget about $24,639 for 3 months in Hawaii (based on a $75,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: movers, a truck rental, and a rental deposit.

Is Hawaii safe?

Hawaii performs significantly better than Delaware across all safety metrics.

How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to Delaware?

Hawaii performs significantly better than Delaware across all health & wellbeing metrics.

What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to Delaware?

The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 66°F in Dover. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Dover gets 46.1 in.

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