Cost of Living

... Area prices were up 0.7 percent over the past two months, up 5.2 percent from a year ago ....

... The crisis stems principally from land use policies that artificially restrict housing supply ....

... Most of the pain can be traced to home purchases, which cost an astounding 313% more than average ....

... the Sixth Proclamation Relating to Affordable Housing—remains in full effect ....

... Hawaii tops the list with $17,966.04 of unexpected fees on average ....

... It was mostly a good year for Hawaii at the 2024 Legislature, and policy experts from Grassroot will explain how that came to be ....

... premiums are rising at astronomical rates ....

... passing the biggest income tax cut in state history ....

... The County Council actually improved on a tax cut proposed by Mayor Roth, but neither version gives a break to industrial or commercial properties ....

... designed to streamline processes, enhance management practices, and increase accessibility to clean energy programs ....

... Hawaii emerges as the state with the highest average price for a medium cheese pizza, reaching $18.99 ....

... bills designed to expand the affordable housing inventory and improve the governance of rental laws under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Code ....

... What makes some states better than others for renters? ....

... To make a buck, CNHA will help move Hawaiians out of Hawaii ....

... Twenty-eight percent of Hawaii residents spend more than 50% of their income on rent, and only 1-in-5 households can afford a median-priced home mortgage ....

... there is still plenty of work to be done to reduce the cost of living in Hawaii ....

... WalletHub compared 23 major MSAs (Metropolitan Statistical Areas) ....

... helping to defeat many measures that would have harmed Hawaii’s economy and added to our already high cost of living ....

... the average salary in the Aloha State is $61,420, or $23.35 an hour, putting it behind 16 other states whose average employees earn more ....

... groceries cost more in Hawaii than in any other state ....

... Hawaii ranks 47th in health care facilities per capita ....

... From expensive housing to pricey food and utility costs, you should plan on boosting your budget if you intend to retire in Hawaii ....

... Can you guess what’s going to happen as a result of Lahaina? ....

“...housing is the biggest income-eater....”

... The state’s high cost of living likely compounds these problems by hindering the recruitment of healthcare professionals ....

“...if you look through the bill, it’s a bunch of blank spaces. It says conveyance taxes will increase by blank percent. Or short-term rental taxes are gonna have a blank percent tax on them....”

... Hawaii’s $1.5 million PLA threshold is now the lowest in the nation ....

... insurance costs for condominiums have risen by 100 percent to 1,000 percent ....

... Here are the top videos that were posted in March ....

... inflation 4.8% year over year for urban Honolulu ....

... Groceries, Gas, Electricity, Housing, Taxes, and more ....

"Making ratepayers to pay for the cost of their negligence and mismanagement is not the way to go"

... Total salary needed for two working adults with two children $299,520 ....

... The bills would enable starter homes, widen mixed-use housing, attract nurses to Hawaii and exempt doctors from the state GET ....

... there's a price to be paid for preening and posturing .... 

...When government is finally saying it is the problem, it’s on the right track to finding a solution....

... outmigration since 2020 has resulted in the loss of $185 million in general excise taxes and state income taxes, or approximately $61.8 million per year ....

... The average mortgage balance in Hawaii was $366,362 in Q4 2023 ....

... Hawaii boasts the lowest percentages and costs in several key metrics ....

... 2024 Legislature resumes session and Grassroot Institute is on the case ....

... a comprehensive outline of the Green Administration’s plans to confront key issues facing the state of Hawai‘i ....

... HB1630 and SB3202 would allow homeowners to subdivide their lots and build additional homes ....

... The Senate passed the bill 23-2, with Republican Sens. Brenton Awa and Kurt Fevella casting the lone "no" votes ....

... One state made the top five on all lists ....

... monsters lurk behind every corner ....

... a new “administrative directive” that requires all state construction projects worth more than $1.5 million to be performed under so-called project labor agreements ....

... regulatory costs $387,000 per unit ....

... clean energy procurements aimed at stabilizing rates and advancing energy equity ....

"...a more fair, equal and sustainable capitalism...."

... the study from Washington, D.C.-based Smart Growth America commissioned by AARP Hawai‘i didn’t account for numerous affordable-housing projects ....