Cost of Living

Real Household Income In Hawaii Dropped Significantly In Last 3 Years Stewart Yerton/Civil Beat/2021

Real Household Income In Hawaii Dropped Significantly In Last 3 Years

High inflation and a slower economic recovery in the state slashed the real median household income in the state by about 9% — twice the national average.

It’s Actually More Expensive To Buy A Home In Hawaii These Days Than You Thought Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

It’s Actually More Expensive To Buy A Home In Hawaii These Days Than You Thought

University of Hawaii economists have a new more realistic way to measure increases in home sales. It’s detailed in a new report on state housing data.

City Council Finalizes Budget At Heated Meeting

City Council Finalizes Budget At Heated Meeting

Council approved $3.4 billion budget focused on fighting crime and building homes.

A Lauded Summer Food Program Has Restarted But Rural Kids Could Miss Out Due To USDA Rules David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

A Lauded Summer Food Program Has Restarted But Rural Kids Could Miss Out Due To USDA Rules

Demographic shifts mean that all of Maui County is excluded from a federal program meant to benefit kids in rural communities.

Puna Is The Fastest Growing Place In Hawaii. But It Comes With A Catch Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat/2023

Puna Is The Fastest Growing Place In Hawaii. But It Comes With A Catch

Plagued by poverty, poor infrastructure, volcanic eruptions and crime, the windward region still attracts a broad spectrum of people looking for their own slice of paradise.

It Now Takes A Six-Figure Salary For A Family Of 4 To Make Ends Meet in Hawaii Stewart Yerton/Civil Beat/2021

It Now Takes A Six-Figure Salary For A Family Of 4 To Make Ends Meet in Hawaii

There’s been a steep increase in the cost of living in the last few years, but a new report also shows how tax credits can provide a lifeline to families.

Hawaiʻi Residents Have Been Complaining About Our High Cost Of Living For More Than 100 Years

Hawaiʻi Residents Have Been Complaining About Our High Cost Of Living For More Than 100 Years

Old newspaper clippings show that the same conversations that were happening in the 1860s and 1960s about the struggle to make ends meet are still relevant today.

‘Fox Watching The Henhouse’: Last Minute Tweaks To Land Use Bill Create A Stir David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

‘Fox Watching The Henhouse’: Last Minute Tweaks To Land Use Bill Create A Stir

Updated: The bill was recommitted to conference committee Thursday, effectively killing it.

How Rising Interest Rates Are Driving Up The Cost Of Living In Hawaii Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

How Rising Interest Rates Are Driving Up The Cost Of Living In Hawaii

Even families making $100,000 a year could be struggling to make ends meet.