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So, I have been living in the cold place (Chicago) for the longest time and I do see myself moving to a warmer place. I am not planning to move to countryside, Texas, Cali, or Florida.. which are too crowded and many other problems with it.
So I thought of Hawaii. I am a IT Engineer, in my late 20s and wanted your opinion on moving to Hawaii? I love the beaches, sunsets, relaxation, etc.. Do you think I will have a tough time finding an IT job there? What would be the best place to settle in Hawaii?
What other problems/complications that I can face in moving there? Hows the crime rate? population? Job search? traffic?
Any detailed information you can provide me would help me put this whole plan together.
So, I have been living in the cold place (Chicago) for the longest time and I do see myself moving to a warmer place. I am not planning to move to countryside, Texas, Cali, or Florida.. which are too crowded and many other problems with it.
So I thought of Hawaii. I am a IT Engineer, in my late 20s and wanted your opinion on moving to Hawaii? I love the beaches, sunsets, relaxation, etc.. Do you think I will have a tough time finding an IT job there? What would be the best place to settle in Hawaii?
What other problems/complications that I can face in moving there? Hows the crime rate? population? Job search? traffic?
Any detailed information you can provide me would help me put this whole plan together.
Thank you
You should be able to find a job but better start your search from afar. Rental units are easy to come by but rents will be way higher (I think) than Chicago. I would only recommend looking in Oahu/Honolulu but if you find an opportunity on another island then perhaps consider that but they are all very rural - why I don't like them.
Don't expect to be able to save much money or buy a place as the cost of living is high but you will get a nice QOL if you are into the outdoors and exercise . Moving is not complicated. Crime is low and petty, traffic is bad but not by mainland standards. Go for it, I never regretted it.
You should be able to find a job but better start your search from afar. Rental units are easy to come by but rents will be way higher (I think) than Chicago. I would only recommend looking in Oahu/Honolulu but if you find an opportunity on another island then perhaps consider that but they are all very rural - why I don't like them.
Don't expect to be able to save much money or buy a place as the cost of living is high but you will get a nice QOL if you are into the outdoors and exercise . Moving is not complicated. Crime is low and petty, traffic is bad but not by mainland standards. Go for it, I never regretted it.
Dito on the employment factor.
Last year worked with a Software/IT tech, owned a home in New Hampshire (in foreclosure), and was working in Hawaii renting an apartment. He was looking to come back to the mainland, the IT job market is bleak and very competitive. To land a good job you need to know someone on the inside of a company.
I don't know the crime rates there but it occurred to me that criminals can only run so far before there's an ocean. The widest part is like 100 miles everybody's trapped.
I have a few colleagues who moved to Hawaii for jobs. But in all cases, they were transferred there by their current employers. And all of them were Federal contractors on DoD tasks.
I'm going to guess that your line of thinking is very common. Who wouldn't want to live/work in Hawaii if they could? And given the small locale and the population density in the major cities, the job market is likely very competitive. And my guess is that most jobs revolve around tourism.
Another option would be to find a job that is 100% remote - easier said than done. This will give you the option of moving there with a job. Just be conscious of the cost of living differences. Among the 50 states, Hawaii is often at the top of the list in regards to COL (for whatever worth those lists are).
My husband and I just came back from Hawaii. While we were there, we looked at jobs and housing for fun. One of the most depressing things we saw was how low wages were, even for good white collar jobs, as opposed to the actual cost of living.
Most IT jobs were in Honolulu and yeah, that's not the place we would want to live at all. We were only really looking at the Big Island and there was basically NOTHING there for IT and very little for my field.
That pipe dream got real fast! No moving to Hawaii for us.
I would give it a look from afar. It doesn't hurt to check it out. Whether or not its a good idea really depends more on you and your specific skills than anyone else's opinion on this or any other forum. I know a software developer/Architect who worked on Maui with his family and loved it. But he was really good at what he did! Are you? Do you have solid, in demand skills? The kind with which you could get a job basically anywhere? If there are fewer jobs and more competition, you better be coming with your A game! And have a job lined up before moving there.
Alternatively, I would have a plan B if Hawaii doesn't pan out. There are many other nicer places to live with IT work than Chicago. And, BTW, not all CA is the stereotype you have of it in your mind such as too crowded, etc... It's a huge state with many places to live and work.
Lastly, as someone else mentioned, you could find an IT job which allows remote work. Then you can live anywhere you want. I actually have found that if I do a good job (also in IT), that the employer will bend over backwards to keep me, even if that means I work remote most of the time. So, although I 'choose' to live in CA, I could live anywhere in the US. I've even toyed with the idea (briefly) of living in HI for a few years. But our family likes Monterey too much. Still, HI is a great place to vacation.
Derek
Last edited by MtnSurfer; 12-05-2015 at 11:35 PM..
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