Moving to Hawaii from West Virginia

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from West Virginia to Hawaii, you would find that Hawaii is 58.5% more expensive than West Virginia. A $75,000 salary in West Virginia would need to be roughly $127,615 in Hawaii to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Honolulu averages 84°F vs 73°F in Charleston, making it significantly warmer.

How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between West Virginia and Hawaii.

What does your salary buy?

$75,000 $127,615

To maintain the same standard of living in Hawaii

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 49.4% more

Groceries

pay 2.2 times more

Transportation

pay 26.4% more

Housing

pay 68.6% more

Childcare

pay 73.0% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 48.6% 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 West Virginia.

Is it safe?

Violent crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WV
266
HI
187
Property crime rate FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2023

incidents per 100,000 people per year

WV
1198
HI
1672

West Virginia generally does better on safety, though Hawaii leads in violent crime rate.

How's the healthcare?

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

share of people without health insurance

WV
6.1%
HI
3.6%
Adult obesity rate Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (PLACES), 2022

share of adults with obesity

WV
40.5%
HI
25.6%

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

What about housing?

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

typical price of a home

WV
$155,600
HI
$808,200
Median rent US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

typical monthly gross rent

WV
$850
HI
$1,938

West Virginia 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

WV
84.7%
HI
91.2%
Average commute US Census Bureau (American Community Survey), 2023

minutes each way to work

WV
27 min
HI
26 min

Hawaii performs significantly better than West Virginia across all infrastructure metrics.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

WV
4.4%
HI
2.2%
GDP per capita Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024

a broad measure of economic output per person

WV
$46,834
HI
$64,124

Hawaii performs significantly better than West Virginia across all employment & economy metrics.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy OECD Regional Demography, 2020

average years of life at birth

WV
72.8 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

WV
17%
HI
25%

Hawaii performs significantly better than West Virginia 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.

Charleston Rain: 44.4 in/yr (1128 mm)
73° / 60°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Charleston Honolulu
Jan–Mar 61°/47°F (16°/8°C) 80°/67°F (27°/19°C)
Apr–Jun 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) 85°/71°F (29°/22°C)
Jul–Sep 85°/75°F (30°/24°C) 89°/74°F (31°/24°C)
Oct–Dec 67°/54°F (20°/12°C) 84°/71°F (29°/22°C)
View all months
Month Charleston Honolulu
Jan 57°/43°F (13.7°/6.0°C) 80°/66°F (26.7°/19.1°C)
Feb 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.5°C) 80°/66°F (26.8°/18.9°C)
Mar 65°/52°F (18.3°/10.9°C) 81°/68°F (27.3°/19.8°C)
Apr 72°/59°F (22.2°/14.9°C) 83°/69°F (28.2°/20.8°C)
May 79°/67°F (25.9°/19.5°C) 85°/71°F (29.2°/21.6°C)
Jun 85°/74°F (29.2°/23.3°C) 87°/73°F (30.6°/23.0°C)
Jul 88°/77°F (30.9°/24.9°C) 88°/74°F (31.1°/23.6°C)
Aug 86°/76°F (30.2°/24.5°C) 89°/75°F (31.5°/23.9°C)
Sep 82°/72°F (27.8°/22.1°C) 89°/74°F (31.4°/23.6°C)
Oct 75°/62°F (23.7°/16.9°C) 87°/73°F (30.4°/23.0°C)
Nov 67°/54°F (19.6°/12.0°C) 84°/71°F (28.8°/21.9°C)
Dec 60°/46°F (15.3°/7.6°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 West Virginia?

On average Hawaii is around 70% pricier than West Virginia, with notable variation by city.

How much money do I need to move to Hawaii?

Budget about $31,904 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?

West Virginia generally does better on safety, though Hawaii leads in violent crime rate.

How is healthcare in Hawaii compared to West Virginia?

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

What's the weather like in Hawaii compared to West Virginia?

The average high temperature in Honolulu is 84°F, compared to 73°F in Charleston. Honolulu receives around 17.1 in of rainfall per year, while Charleston gets 44.4 in.

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