Welcome Hawaii Movers!
Aloha from the Aloha State!
This incredibly community-oriented place is full of volcanoes, heavenly beaches and beautiful plants found nowhere else in the world. It has a unique blend of American, Asian and native culture that draws in millions of tourists every year. Living here is like exploring a new country. It may take time to learn how to pronounce the Hawaiian street names and get used to the fact that most public restaurants welcome people who are barefoot. Get ready to relocate and get in the Aloha Spirit!
Relocating to Hawaii - Valuable Information for New Hawaii Residents
No matter where you move to in Hawaii, you’re never far from a heavenly beach or a great luau. The main islands of Hawaii are Hawai’i, Maui, O’ahu, Kaua’i, Moloka’i, Lana’i, Ni’ihau and Kaho’olawe. On these islands, the largest cities include Honolulu, Kailua, Kaneohe, Haleiwa, Kapolei, Aiea, Mililani, Ewa Beach, Waianae, Wahiawa, Waipahu, Pearl City, Kalaupapa, Maunawili, Waimea, Makaha, Kula, Waimanalo, Kahuku, Waialua, Pupukea, Kalaeloa, Kawela Bay, Hauula, Kaaawa and Keauhou.
To ensure the easiest transition wherever you move, start by following the proper steps required by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). We’ve laid out the top priorities for becoming a resident below.
- If you have a license issued from another state in the US, you can convert it to a Hawaii license. Make sure to visit your local Hawaii DMV to get your new license soon after establishing residency. The deadlines are different for each county, so we recommend visiting your local Hawaii DMV within the first week to ensure you transfer your license on time.
- You’ll need insurance for your car from a company licensed to do business in Hawaii. Reach out to a Hawaii insurance agent, and they will be happy to make sure you have insurance that works through the state of Hawaii.
- Make sure to register your vehicle within 60 days of establishing residency.You can do this at the DMV.
- Your car doesn’t need an emissions inspection, but it may need a safety inspection to be registered.
It is good to note that wherever you live and however clean your home is, cockroaches are known to be more prevalent here than most of America. It’s that light rain…it tends to drive these guys out of their ground homes. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean your home is an unclean place!
Hawaii Neighborhood Information: To Know for Hawaii Moving Companies and Quotes
Weather: As one can imagine, this tropical paradise has a tropical climate. However, due to the various terrains such as high altitudes and island location, there are certainly variances in weather. No matter where you are throughout the year, temperature is rarely over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (in summer) or under 65 degrees Fahrenheit (in winter). So bring your bathing suit, bring light cotton and don’t overpack on the sweatshirts!
The trade winds that run over from the islands keep the mild temperature, but they can get distorted by the mountains and valleys. These are not too dangerous, but on rare occasions have gotten to some scarily high speeds!
As for rain, that falls lightly throughout the year and sometimes leads to storms (mostly in October through March). Hurricanes can also occur, but truly strong ones are rare.
Population & Cost of Living: Hawaii is home to about one million people; get excited to relocate and add one to this number!
The cost of living for these residents? It is incredibly high. It is 85% more expensive to live here than the average city in America. One of the factors is groceries. Because they are imported to this far-off state, they will be more expensive. However, if you have more space to store goods, places like Sam’s Club and Costco have come in to sell more affordably in bulk.
Move here and prepare to spend a lot on your home. It costs about 190% more to buy a home here than an average city in the U.S. On Honolulu itself, the median price of a home is $683,500.
Hawaii's Employment Rate & State's Economy
Though the cost of living is very low, the unemployment rate (at 4.3% as of Fall 2014) is as well. One of the reasons for this is the tourism industry is so massive here. Just about every restaurant, hotel, luau or other tourism-based activity requires employees.
About 90% of the state’s gross product is in service fields such as hotels, restaurants, rental car agencies (tourism related), health care law, accounting, public education and finance.
Other top industries include agriculture (sugar cane, pineapples, flowers, coffee, macadamia nuts, avocadoes, bananas, guavas, papayas, tomatoes, beans & corn being top grown products), manufacturing (of raw products), food processing (such as refined sugar) and printed materials (most of these being newspapers).
SECRET HAWAIIN ATTRACTIONS
- The Surfboard Fence - Love surfing? Then you’ll enjoy this treat. Donald Dettloff took his collection of over 600 surfboard and used them to construct a fence when he heard of a large hurricane approaching. They’ve stayed up in this formation every since!
- Redwood Trail - These islands are famous for their beaches, but you don’t want to overlook their forests. Head to this trail (accessible through Maui’s Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area) and prepare for something magical.
- Mu-Ryang-Sa Buddhist Temple - This colorful, Korean-style temple is nestled on the back of Oahu’s Palolo Valley. It is a beautiful site you won’t regret making time to see!
FUN HAWAII FACTS
- President Barack Obama was born here, in Honolulu, in 1961. Cheers to our 44th president!
- The shark is considered a god by natives here.
- The world famous macadamia nut we know and love from Hawaii….was not originally from Hawaii. It was imported there from Australia in the 1800s and began being produced in the 1920s.
- The famous series, Lost, was filmed here is Hawaii.