So I came across this article the other day, entitled, “Native Hawaiians Flock to Las Vegas for affordable living”. And while Vegas is considered by many in Hawaii to be the “Ninth Island”, this article had little to do with visiting the casinos and more to do about the realities of why local families, particularly Native Hawaiian families, are leaving for the Mainland. From cost of living to housing to quality of life improvements, the article mentioned a lot of reasons why locals in Hawaii would find Las Vegas a better place to live. But is it? I guess that depends. So I wanted to go over the article and share some of my thoughts as a local in Hawaii.
New article – https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/01/22/breaking-news/native-hawaiians-flock-to-las-vegas-for-affordable-living/
Filmed using the Canon Vixia G60.
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41 Comments
Not to toot my own horn but I think my kids are kind of smart and most likely will find an (at least) okay job 10 years from now. BUT I’m so sad that they have zero chance of being able to afford a humble 1000 sq ft. fixer upper lower-middle class home in Hawaii due to the cost. Hawaii suffers from capitalism where only the strongest survives. And when you are dealing with a world of couple billion people there’s actually a decent amount of rich folks out there that doesn’t trust their government or they don’t like their cold weather or don’t like their hot weather or don’t like their droughts and can pay whatever price to live in Hawaii. I know someone in Hawaii that sold their place and pretty much every single local person had near 0 chance of buying it. It was placed on the market for 1.5 mil and a Chinese investor came in and bought it for 1.7 mil. Good luck to you middle class folks trying to compete with that.
Growing up in the Bay Area of California, I did see that big melting pot of cultures here and even have met a few Native Hawaiians that moved here. My 5th grade teacher was from Hawaii and I remembered she brought and implemented the aloha spirit and culture within her classroom and even founded the hula club at my school. Although she has admitted to missing her homeland, she was content with where she was now and stays true to her roots with pride. Mahalo to her for bringing the aloha. 🤙
What baffles me is even if a lot in hawaii say it’s getting hard to afford to live there, yet people spend thousands on illegal fireworks. And it’s getting worse. Explain that one.
I moved to the 9th island and let me tell you it’s not all that cheaper here. Property tax is more. Car insurance is more. Sales tax is double here. But at least big furniture ships free here 😊. If you go strictly on housing alone yeah it’s more affordable here
All Yu guys stay Home in da Islands !
Bumbye no mo any Locals anymo!!
Gon be Cultural desert
& da tourist nuh gon like go anymo.
(Boring! Wea da Islanders at !? )
Wow! You only went to the beach once a year growing up! I guess we are lucky on north shore where we can walk to the beach any time and go often.
Indigenous people throughout time have lost their desirable land due to colonialism. Hawaii is no exception.
Stay in Hawaii ! If you left I can tell you would regret it! 🌺🌴🌞🌊
From Puna, Big Island, been in Las Vegas since 2001. LOL I know many in the article, especially Doreen. Many Hawai'i Locals moved here because of cost of living, more for your dollar, following family, buy their own home. My situation is a little different, I made the move because my wife is from the Chicago area and Las Vegas was smack in the middle of Hawai'i and Illinois. According to the Las Vegas Hawaiian Civic Club approximately 50K now call Las Vegas/Henderson home. Sad, so many have moved away from home, but we make the best of the situation. The 9th Island lāhui is going strong! The community knows it! Hawaii Local owned restaurants, businesses, grocery stores, banking, automotive, medical, real estate, law firms, etc. Several festivals, even a Hawaiian radio show on KUNV 91.5 FM. Everywhere you look, we are da 9th Island.
Wish there was some government initiative to help Native Hawaiian people keep their land. It's not right for native people to lose their land.
As for me, I'm still able to survive and have no desire to go back home. Life in New York is more expensive with awful apartments, abrasive people, and nothing nice to see. There's no other state I'd choose to live in. It's either Hawaii or Singapore for me.
I feel like the only way to keep local people in Hawaii is to have some kind of UBI similar to the oil dividend in Alaska. Especially because the argument from businesses is that they can’t pay workers a living wage…I mean if keeping local people here is even a priority.
i was born in Hawaii grew up i went to August Arens Elementary Waipahu Intermediate and wen grad from Waipahu High School den joined the Navy and retired in San Diego da only way i would move back is if i win the lotto which is very slim i have visited several times and wished i could move back home
A living wage in Hawaii is more like $40-$50 an hour not $12 or $18 so you can't justify that as a reason to raise the minimum wage. The minimum wage isn't designed to be a living wage… that's why it's the minimum wage.
If people struggle month to month; there is no saving for kids college, no saving for retirement, no ability to help your parents. The reality is, Hawaii is for people with money.
I live in Rhode Island about an hour from the beach. Most people I know can't afford to vacation or live near the beach because wealthy people from Boston, NY, and New Jersey have bought up all the coastal properties.
It doesn't only happen in HI.
Also, there are lots of people on the mainland that need to move hundreds or thousands of miles from home to find a good job with reasonably priced homes and rentals.
Yep. I have lots of family and friends who moved to Vegas many years ago because of more job opportunities, no state taxes, etc. If you like dessert living, you should have no problems.
I used to watch your videos when we were still living on the continent. It helped when I was feeling homesick.
I come home two weeks out of the year and go to the beach each day. The equivalent of the previous decade as a resident
In 1997, I had the privilege of sitting down with the late Richard Marks at the one bar on Kalaupapa, after his tour, and having a beer with him. He told me that some of the residents wanted to move to Kingman, Az. There will never be a guide like him or anyone with his knowledge of Kalaupapa.
Excellent reporting
It’s with much sadness to hear the reality of the local people here in the state. My son had to move to Oahu from Kauai with his 7 kids and are now living in a 4bedroom house bringing it to a total of 16 people in the house. Education is a priority for his family and the ages of the kids range from 15 to 3. The ohana is strong in the faith and they are making it work. We hope that they never have to choose the option of leaving our island but the reality that you have shared makes me tremble to hear of the alternatives left to the Hawaiian people. Mahalo for your insight
Have to think about the future, no fresh water!!can't live without it.
Chris, you eventually get over "the hurt" or sadness of leaving Hawaii. The shocking realization of the improvement of quality of life for you and your family when you're now thriving and not just surviving makes the transition overwhelmingly enjoyable more than you expect. With technology, staying connected with family and friends in Hawaii is much easier. And with the money you are now saving having moved off the `aina, you could always fly back. Having been 18 years here in Ohio, I definitely do not miss the struggles of my parents and my family growing up in Hawaii…its a distant afterthought.
Stop saying “Native Hawaiians”!!!!! Were Kanaka Maoli.
I know a lot of locals are looking to Las Vegas as an affordable alternative to Hawaii. I think this story from the Associated Press does a pretty good job at explaining the predicament that many locals find themselves in. Most national stories about Hawaii tend to be tourist- or volcano-related, so I'm glad that this story is out there to explain why it's a tough decision to move away from Hawaii.
Interesting how Vegas is called the "Ninth Island" by Hawaiians. It's no surprise because Vegas and Hawaii are worldwide tourist attractions, and their tourism sides are in a chronic 24-hour "party mode" more or less. Ever hear of a casino being closed? I'm in San Diego County which is a hardcore tourist attraction itself. Disneyland is in Anaheim in Orange County, but it's only an hour or so drive from where I live.
Being a SoCal native, I've heard my whole life people bitching about how expensive it supposedly is to live in California. As someone who's struggled through low-wage jobs my whole life, sooner or later you contemplate the thought of moving to another state which is supposedly cheaper to live, and will hopefully offer a better "quality of life" as a result. In recent years, I've even considered moving to Vegas myself. On the topic of Vegas, other desert furnaces like the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas of Arizona come up for consideration, too.
I know Hawaii has pricey real estate like a lot of California. Some places in Cali are more pricey than others, like Palo Alto, the Bay Area or Silicon Valley in general. Those places have been called the "home of the working-class millionaire." The real issue here is "opportunity and quantity of income." If you're in Hawaii working three or whatever low-wage jobs, how much more do you think your "quality of life" will improve if you move to a "cheaper" place to live working similar jobs, wages and hours? Will your quality of life be better working 60-80 hours a week at or near minimum wage in Vegas, Phoenix, or a midwest or southern state as opposed to Hawaii or coastal California? Will you be able to get better jobs or careers in the "cheaper" states?
You should also look into the "hidden costs" of living in such-and-such "cheaper" places. Rent and housing may be somewhat cheaper in Vegas or Phoenix than Hawaii or SoCal. But what about utilities, namely air conditioning and especially water in the desert furnaces? I've read of summer electric bills in Phoenix being as high as $400-$500 a month. I've heard of Arizona people paying for water by the HOUR. Harsh climates cause more wear and tear on things, living and non-living, than milder climates. Insurance, taxes and other expenses may be higher. The "cheaper" state to live in may not be nearly the bargain you thought.
How about home life? Family life? Culture? Crime? Recreation? Going back to Vegas, it's not exactly a family-oriented place. Nor is Vegas particularly known for having low crime. If you're able to work less, what will you do with your extra free time? It's so hot outside much of the time, you may not even want to go outside, except at night which is when all the riff-raff like to come out.
And thus the elephant in the Vegas room – where will you go for fun, day or night? One of the endless casinos where you can blow your paycheck over the weekend? Do you like gambling? Casino gambling is known to be highly addictive. With the exception of poker and perhaps blackjack and craps, most casino games are little more than legalized loaded shell games. Slots are the backbone of any casino, and those hotels were not built by winners. I'm not even mentioning the races or sports betting. If you were working multiple low-paying jobs before moving to Vegas, chances are you'll be working in a casino which will test your resolve whether or not to gamble on your free time with your paycheck you or your family depend on. I've heard of Arizona being called an economic "black hole" where people are drawn to the hype of the Sun Belt, only to be trapped by low-wage jobs and not-cheap expenses that prevent them from moving back home. Vegas seems like it could be very much the same and more.
I know the struggle is real because I've gone through it myself. I see a lot of remorse and homesickness in these other commenters who moved from Hawaii. I know Chris doesn't want to move so he should keep expanding his opportunity and quantity of income. I agree with Chris in why you'd want to go to Vegas on vacation. We have "card rooms" in SoCal where, sans craps, I can get the only gambling action I'd want – poker and maybe blackjack. But I can play poker and blackjack online, too. In any case, if and when I get enough money to take a reasonable vacation, I don't want to go to Vegas. Know where I'd rather go?
Hawaii.
I can imagine that as much as it hurts to leave home, there's probably massive relief that comes from being able to actually live and not just struggle to exist. Stress takes a major toll on not just mental health, but physical health and if moving away to somewhere where you can afford to have a better quality of life and alleviate that stress allows you to flourish, then it's no contest. The struggle to survive in a place that's so expensive is unrelenting and having that massive weight reduced or removed can be life changing. I would think that for some struggling locals, they might even come to resent Hawaii. I wonder what happens if Hawaii becomes even more expensive? Does it become a destination for only the wealthy with any remaining locals working in service of the wealthy and living in cramped dorm style high rises similiar to factory workers in China? It sounds dystopian and exaggerated, but could become reality of things are allowed to continue unchecked.
Aloha 🌺 Yes there is some things about Hawaii that exist no where else. Lived in Australia for a year as a Nanny. Calls from home hurt your heart with one word 'Howzit'
I'm not disagreeing with your premise, but its the same problem in New York, San Francisco, Boston, London, Singapore, etc… Just because you're born in a place, doesn't mean you are entitled to live there forever at some comfort level you personally think is reasonable…homes in Hilo are half the price of those in Honolulu..
Hawaii and Las Vegas have extremely close ties. I lived in Vegas for years and then got talked into moving to hawaii. But yea, Hawaii is expensive. But we all make it work.
All the feelings and experiences are the same for us, the other way around. The conditions now here changes a lot but somehow similar to the mainland, cost of living wise. For retired seniors, adapting to the situations is the only way. Thanks for a great observations…
Sacramento County is a great place you're close to San Francisco Berkeley the mountains are right behind you you can travel lots of places from there the work situations pretty decent and there's plenty of things to do in Sacramento as well plus there's two major rivers running through it the Sacramento and the American River so you can play in the water during the summer. I wonder why people want to move to Las Vegas you're way out in the middle of nowhere with really hot Dusty Summers don't understand the draw.
I'm surprised more people don't notice Lake County California you can buy a three-bedroom house for under $250,000 bucks. You can get them even cheaper it's just how big of a house you want. I guess the job thing is what keeps most people out cuz you have to go to Santa Rosa or Napa to get a good paying job and that's about an hour commute. In the county you either have to work for the county casinos or the energy departments to make a decent wage
Have Faith, future looks promising for all to go back to your desired homelands and prosper again, but remember one world one race, we are all one, no matter where you are from. Be Positive, it's coming.
I know one of the problems that created so many homeless in Hawaii, are the greedy landlords. None of these homeless people got there by train, by bike , by greyhound bus, they all flew in, they all had money when they got there, but failed to do their financial planning, for there is no Rent Control in Hawaii, that's why landlords get away with murder. I have to tell you what happened to my wife and me in 2021. We had been in touch with a guy in an apartment complex called the Royal kinau, , we were ready for he was going to tell us when he had an apartment for us, so, we had given away, threw away and sold everything away, all we had in our place was the bed and our luggage's On Monday July 19th, 2021, the guy call us and told us he had 2 apartments, to come on down. , so we left at 11 a.m. on Friday , July 23rd, got to Honolulu around 4;45 p.,m., it was late in the weekend, so, we took it easy, enjoyed that weekend at the Ala Moana hotel, since we had to wait for when this guy's office open up on Monday. Well, 1st thing 1st, we went to The Bus's office to get ur senior citizens passes, from there we went to this guy's office, 9 a.m. we knocked on his door,….only to be told the apartments had been taken. There we were, stranded on the middle of the pacific, but thank God, I had prepaid the hotel for the next 2 weeks,so, my wife and me did the best we could out of the situation, we made it our second honeymoon, then we returned to Chicago, to sart all over again. But I did managed to put us on a waiting list with an association call E.A.H., for 5 year waiting list, to get a home to rent on the northern section of Oahu , one year has already gone down, 2nd year is almost there, meanwhile we are saving all we can. My wife is going to take it easy and enjoy Hawaii, me, I want to go into Real estate, I already got my graduation certificate from The Vitousek Real estate school, I'm getting ready to pass the state tests,I want to have my licenses ready for when I hit Hawaii, I am going to hit it running. I can see, why Hawaiian people may find it hard to survive in such a greedy environment. Mahao for reading my lines.
I’ve lived in Hawaii all my life until two years ago. Grad High School on Maui in ‘74.
Went to UH, and also mainland college. Worked two jobs all my working life, bought a house in 1988, with my Hawaiian wife. My brother and I built a cottage in the back of the property.
A lot of people I know were living the life, out to eat in restaurants, buying fancy cars, using drugs, gambling, etc. but I just kept working to pay off the house. I turned over my house to my two children, both Kamehameha School grads. They are in the 30’s, regular type jobs, and would never to be able to buy a home in their own land. As for me, I’m traveling now. God willing, if I could just find a small lot to buy on Maui, I would just build a small house. Doesn’t look likely though.
I left Oahu in 1990; no regrets I had the same concerns for my own longevity in Hawaii. Las Vegas gave me my education, family, job & most of all my life. I’ve met long time friends here & met my late husband. In short, Vegas has given me everything & more. Don’t knock it until you try it!! Yes prices are on the rise but I have everything that I need here in LV…would I move back? Idk but something has got to give for all yall.. ❤
Born and raised on Oahu, but just moved to Vegas by myself at 19 years old in 2021. I personally don’t miss anything about home other than friends and family, but Vegas has given me everything that Hawaii couldn’t. Being here has given me a great start to my adult life that I know Hawaii wouldn’t have given me. It’s been a huge blessing and hope that more local kids would try because at the end of the day Hawaii will always be there to visit when needed.
Democratic leadership cause tourism to drop and recover slowly
I was sad for us to move away from our aina in Waipio to the Bay Area for economic reason.. primarily, employment and a home to called our own. simply put, I would not be able to own a 3,000 Sq. ft. home and gainfully employed. I know the sacrifices., we have put up with not having our brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, grandparents and friends around during birthdays & holidays, we especially missed the 70-80’s warmth year round in Hawaii. So, it’s a trade off. We loved to be back home, but for now…. We have to just put up and enjoy an annual home visit and hope someday that we will be back home during our golden years. Aloha for now..!
Oh…. One more thing, people are much .. much .. friendlier an seem to smile more in Hawaii…!
Born and raised in Hawaii moved to Las Vegas in 2001 and have thrived a lot more affordable.
We never wanted to leave our home but we also didn’t want to live with mom and dad.
We now have our own home and can make ends meet . We miss Hawaii a lot but we have to sacrifice for our kids and give them opportunities that Hawaii could not. Believe me it wasn’t easy being away from Ohana and the ocean (which is where We spent most of our time) but we wanted better chances for,our children to succeed.
I chose NM. Same like HI but different host native culture. Very interesting place and underrated place for Hawaiians, but I do meet them occasionally. You see cultural mixes in CA and NM, different mixes, but interesting in seeing how other cultures govern.