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my family is planning to move to either hawaii ( oahu ) or sandiego. we are both working in healthcare related jobs. w/c place is better to move to in terms of good education, affordable housing , safety, better salary, economy, weather. we are moving from upstate new york in a year and a half from now.
we are also planning to check out these places in april. i hope we can make a better decision if we see these places even for just a short period of time. also what moving companies are safe and reliable? thanks for all the suggestions.
in terms of better education for the price, san diego, in Hawaii better schools will be private and you'll have to pay more $. however, you're kids can still do well in Hawaii public schools, and get into good schools on the mainland however that will take good parenting and motivation. (which i think people should do regardless, but statistically San Diego will probably be better.
safety, depends on the area, there are parts of San Diego where you'd be safe and there are areas you might not be, same with Hawaii. I'd say due to much of Hawaii being sparse in population that makes for less crime statistically but again depends on area. Honolulu (capital and most populated) there are going to be more chances for things to happen etc.
salary, San Diego hands down especially in this economy. Hawaii's economy is based in tourism and we're seeing a decrease in that with many people not having the money to travel right now, or those who want to hold off because of uncertainties of what will be in the future with our economic situation. then again Hawaii is not the only place experiencing economic hardship. Though as San Diego is larger you have a better chance of finding a well paying job. Not to mention things are more expensive in Hawaii as everything needs to be shipped from the mainland, and if you live on the out islands (ie not Oahu) expect to pay a little more as everythign must be shipped to Honolulu first.
affordable housing, again depends on the area but overall I'd say we are in a buyers market so I'm sure it is possible to find somethign good in both places. Though Hawaii typically speaking is going to be more expensive, it's all got to do with supply and depand, what people are willing to pay to live in paradise. Naturally you can find very inexpenisive homes or vacant lots but you have to take into account which island it is on and what area and whether or not you'd want to live there. For example the more inexpensive areas on the Big Island are going to be near the Volcano while most expensive are near the resorts and in the 'drier' parts of the island as people have immigrated from teh mainland to live in the sun and near the more tourist areas like Kona. Naturally this then ties into education facilities in the area, more populated areas will have better education and more facilities to choose from.
weather is debatable, both offter great sunshine and moderate weather, obviously Hawaii is warmer and more tropical. so you'd have to factor in the humidity and if you'd like that. both have beaches you can escape to. San Diego water will be cooler as the current that runs along the west coast is bringing cold water from Alaska and Arctic whereas Hawaii is a tropical island in the Pacific and closer to the equater so water is warmer. It is important to note though that in Hawaii it rains more, of course you can find areas that are 'drier' and more similar in rainfall to San Diego. If its green in Hawaii then most likely its an area that gets a lot of rain. Also Hawaii is subject to hurricanes being in the tropics so you may want to take that into account, now it's not like the gulf region that has devastating hurricans every couple years, but San Diego doesn't have hurricans, you really just have to worry about 'fire season' when the brush is try and it's a perfect time for natural fires to occur or for those idiots who purposfully set fires, this causes much damage sometimes in unpopulated areas but sometimes it does threaten adn even burn homes. though again depends where you live, if you live in downtown San Diego vs outskirts of San Diego county where there's more open areas. Especially if you are on the Big Island you will be affected by vog (or volcanic smog) this can be very problematic for those who suffer from respiratory illnesses, not to mention prolonged exposure can actually lead to problems. the other islands aren't as affected however the trade winds are capable of blowing vog over to neighboring islands as far as Oahu. fyi vog is much worse than smog that can be found in say LA, as it is composed of volcanic chemicals like say sulfur dioxide
hope this info helps you, though it would be better to have a region you are looking at in Hawaii, at least which island as each island is very different in what it has to offer.
very impressive info. thanx much. we will only going to be looking into oahu. we are also reading a lot about areas in this island with affordable housing and good school system at the same time. we are serious about moving so we have to research a lot before making the decision. same with san diego but i don't know anything about san diego yet. will have to look for friends there to give us advice. do you live in oahu or another island? any of the 2 places i don't mind moving . i just want my boys ( 2,9,& 13 ) to enjoy the move and fit in their new school. also the main reason for moving is to be closr to the philippines where my eldest son will be going to college in 2 years and eventually the rest of my children. i hope this will be our last and final move.
big island, so i really wouldn't be good at giving you any detailed advise about subdivisions etc or even schools you might be looking at as I'm not familiar with it. i know there are a few people on here though living on oahu so I'm sure you'll be able to find someone to help with specific questions.
on a side note if you end up sending all your boys to the philippines for school Hawaii would be closer, not to mention the climate would be closer than the more dry climate in san diego. in either case i'm sure you can find affordable housing as it is now a buyers market. just research areas you're interested in both places and then do some pros and cons of living there etc. good luck if you have anymore questions about hawaii in general feel free to ask
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