Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Going back to the original topic, the OP can live definitely in Oahu for $65,000 or even less like $55,000.
Just live in the leeward side of the island -- Ewa, Kapolei or Makakilo. Studio or townhouse can be rented much cheaper than those in town. And in fact they are newer since most are recently built. Commute to work daily by Express Bus which only cost $60 for a monthly Bus Pass. Keep your car just for the leisure ride during the weekend.
A lot of working class people survive this way in Honolulu.
I'm single, make around $65K, and live in Aiea (im military). I'm doing just fine. I wouldn't want to have kids or a spouse with my current salary though
I'm single, make around $65K, and live in Aiea (im military). I'm doing just fine. I wouldn't want to have kids or a spouse with my current salary though
With spouse and kids, $100k combined is more ideal. I think $125-150k is a lot more comfortable though. I know couples that make $100k combined and their life style is by no means extravagant. Kids can be expensive, especially if eating and going out.
In hawaii in general, there's a lot more crime against property than there is serious crime like shootings and murders and such in other states/cities.
That being said, youd be a fool to think there aren't areas in hawaii, especially in metro oahu, that you shouldn't be walking around alone at night.
Where is it exactly in "metro" Oahu that is is not safe to walk around at night? Afraid you'll get mugged, raped or murdered? Or more afraid you'll have to endure walking past or alongside a stinky homeless person or doped up crackhead, both of which statistically almost never commit violent crimes against the (non-homeless/non-crackhead) general public.
The vast majority of Kalihi (Kalihi is a large neighborhood) is just as safe to be strolling around at night in than any suburban area on Oahu. The stereotypes about Kalihi being unsafe are nonsense. As another member pointed out, crime (statistically speaking) in fancy schmancy Kailua is worse than that in Kalihi. There are definitely pockets of bad areas in Kalihi where crime is more concentrated. But these areas are almost exclusively in industrial parts of Kalihi where city planners in the early day brilliantly provided zoning for apartment use smack dab inside medium industrial use areas. You're not going to pay high rents living immediately next door to a filthy steel fabrication shop. We all know poverty brings more crime. But even then, this crime is nothing compared to that in mainland metros. As you and others have mentioned, crime even in the worst areas on Oahu is almost always property related. Oahu's gang violence is virtually non-existent compared to other metros in the US. There are many areas in mainland metros that are just downright scary to even be driving through. Not a single place like that here on Oahu. Nothing even remotely close.
Use a little common sense... install an alarm on your car and home; don't leave any personal belongings unattended in public. If you do, lock and secure everything. Make some effort in protecting personal property from theft and you'll find that it is almost impossible to be a victim of ANY crime living on Oahu.
And to the OP, yes, $65K is plenty enough to live very well here on Oahu with no debt, dependents or financial obligations.
With spouse and kids, $100k combined is more ideal. I think $125-150k is a lot more comfortable though. I know couples that make $100k combined and their life style is by no means extravagant. Kids can be expensive, especially if eating and going out.
Where is it exactly in "metro" Oahu that is is not safe to walk around at night?
The vast majority of Kalihi (Kalihi is a large neighborhood) is just as safe to be strolling around at night in than any suburban area on Oahu. The stereotypes about Kalihi being unsafe are nonsense. As another member pointed out, crime (statistically speaking) in fancy schmancy Kailua is worse than that in Kalihi.
Try strolling Iwilei tonight -
Anyway, this notion that Kailua is worse than Kalihi is hilarious - look at the sources. Neighborhood scout? Cmon, lets get serious for a moment. Seriously, anything but HPD is suspect.
Ok, lets do that - lets actually look at the HPD official stats.
Lets try District 4 and District 5. District 4 runs all the way from Kahuku to Waimanolo. District 5 - Kalihi.
Both District 4 and 5 have roughly the same population (138,200 vs. 143,200) but they sure tell a different story of crime.
In 2015 (last year that is published) District 4 had 1 murder (in Waimanalo by the way) - District 5, wait for it - 10 murders.
How about rape - 34 in District 4 vs. 55 in District 5
Robbery - want to stroll Kalihi? District 4 had 49 - District 5 had 142 (nighttime stroll?)
We can keep going - because every single category of crime in Kalihi (District 5) is much higher than (District 4 Kahuku to Waimanalo)
Anyway, this notion that Kailua is worse than Kalihi is hilarious - look at the sources. Neighborhood scout? Cmon, lets get serious for a moment. Seriously, anything but HPD is suspect.
Ok, lets do that - lets actually look at the HPD official stats.
Lets try District 4 and District 5. District 4 runs all the way from Kahuku to Waimanolo. District 5 - Kalihi.
Both District 4 and 5 have roughly the same population (138,200 vs. 143,200) but they sure tell a different story of crime.
In 2015 (last year that is published) District 4 had 1 murder (in Waimanalo by the way) - District 5, wait for it - 10 murders.
How about rape - 34 in District 4 vs. 55 in District 5
Robbery - want to stroll Kalihi? District 4 had 49 - District 5 had 142 (nighttime stroll?)
We can keep going - because every single category of crime in Kalihi (District 5) is much higher than (District 4 Kahuku to Waimanalo)
Source: Honolulupd.org
Sigh.
I find it odd that you don't understand the dynamics of criminal behavior and how they relate to the structure/zoning/use of neighborhoods. Any decent sized city has industrial areas that generally have higher homeless populations than residential areas for very obvious reasons I shouldn't have to bother explaining to you. But in most cities, they don't concentrate walk-up residential buildings in them like they do in industrial Kalihi. You haven't been around here in Hawaii long enough to know about the awful, nonsensical zoning that was allowed back in the day. Imagine mixed-use residential in medium industrial areas (the only zoning that's heavier on the industrial front is Campbell's which is basically where they refine oil and burn coal). Think loud, dirty, polluting factories within several feet of open windows occupied by families with children. This is what industrial Kalihi is like. Anyone (except you) would know this would invite extreme poverty.
But the real question to you is why on earth would anyone want to stroll down a street in an industrial area at night? Maybe to take a nighttime peek at some of the metal recycling centers? Or perhaps to feed all the feral cats? Do people do this in San Francisco industrial areas? Just go for a casual stroll down an industrial alley? Ridiculous.
As noted, the VAST MAJORITY of Kalihi is safe to stroll at night. It's the industrial and mixed-use residential/industrial areas that are prone to the crime you hear about in the news on a constant basis.
Does the Waimanalo to Kahuku district (4) you speak of have any medium industrial zoning? No. Does it have any light industrial zoning? Virtually none. You can't compare crime statistics in industrial areas (which happen to be packed with residents) to crime statistics in strictly residential-only and rural communities. And the concentration of people is nearly 4X that in district 5 (Kalihi) vs district 4 (Windward Oahu) and we all know how crime increases as population density increases. Not exactly rocket science there. Once you move into residential areas of Kalihi, they are just as safe as those neighborhoods in Windward Oahu.
And as for the statistics, Kalihi has very similar numbers to Windward Oahu. You can look at the several years the HPD has on file... they are often very close. Since I obviously need to put your cherry picking into perspective, let's look at the total number of incidents of crime (reports to HPD) -
Incidents of crime / population / percentage of residents reporting a crime
Kalihi - 4,243 / pop - 143,200 / 2.9%
Kailua/Kaneohe/Kahuku - 3,826 / pop 138,200 / 2.7%
Central Oahu - 6,638 / pop 84,200 / 7.9%
Pearl City - 5,151 / pop 169,400 / 3.0%
Wahiawa - 2,401 / pop 118,700 / 2.0%
Waikiki - 3,361 / pop 26,600 / 12.6% (this number skewed as tourists are not part of the population count)
East Honolulu - 4,043 / pop 161,100 / 2.5%
Kapolei/Waianae - 4,097 / pop 157,300 / 2.6%
Kapolei, East Honolulu, Pearl City and Windward Oahu share very similar crime statistics to that of Kalihi. Surprise!
And as for the statistics, Kalihi has very similar numbers to Windward Oahu. You can look at the several years the HPD has on file... they are often very close.
Very close?
In 2015 (last year available) you were 10 times more likely to murdered in Kalihi. 10 times. Close?
In Kalihi you had a 61% percent greater chance of being raped
In Kalihi you had nearly a 3 times chance of being robbed (2.89 to be exact)
Your definition of similar is different than mine. (We can do more categories as Kalihi beats Windward Oahu in every category of crime which includes a partial tent city in Waimanalo).
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
