State comparison
California vs Hawaii: which state is better to live in?
Hawaii costs a median household about $3,100 a year less in state and local taxes than California, mostly because property tax on a median home runs $2,268 a year against $5,609 in California, though everyday prices run higher there (cost of living index 196 against 142).
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 6 categories
Hawaii
Moderate tax burden · COL index 196
Wins 10 categories
Taxes: California vs Hawaii
California has a graduated income tax topping out at 13.3%, which works out to 4.5% on a median income of $74,580, or $3,375 a year. Hawaii has a graduated income tax topping out at 11%, which works out to 6.1% on a median income of $74,580, or $4,559 a year. California wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.71% of home value a year in California and 0.27% in Hawaii (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $5,609 against $2,268, so Hawaii has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 8.82% in California and 4.44% in Hawaii; Hawaii is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $10,957 a year in California, $7,821 in Hawaii. Hawaii is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
California's cost of living index is 142 and Hawaii's is 196, where 100 is the national average; California is about 38% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $790K in California and $840K in Hawaii (Zillow, 2024), a $50K gap in California's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,300 a month in California and $2,500 in Hawaii.
Home insurance averages $2,100 a year in California and $500 in Hawaii, so Hawaii is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 499 incidents per 100,000 residents in California and 281 in Hawaii (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Hawaii is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 78% lower. Property crime is 2,027 per 100,000 in California against 2,480 in Hawaii, again favoring California.
Health
Life expectancy is 79.2 years in California and 80.7 in Hawaii (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.5-year edge for Hawaii. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks California's health system 13th of 50 and Hawaii's 11th, so Hawaii scores better on care.
6.8% of California residents have no health insurance against 4.8% in Hawaii, which favors Hawaii. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California's K-12 schools 20th in the country and Hawaii's 25th, 5 places apart in California's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election California went to Harris by 20 points and Hawaii went to Harris by 26 points.
California has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; Hawaii has may-issue carry permits and a grade of A.
Abortion is protected by state law in both states, and marijuana is legal for adults in both as of 2026. The minimum wage is $16.00 an hour in California and $14.00 in Hawaii.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought) and moderate in Hawaii (hurricane, tsunami, volcano), so Hawaii is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 62 in California and 18 in Hawaii (under 50 is good), favoring Hawaii.
Tax figures use a household earning the national median income and owning each state's median home, at tax year 2026 rates, last checked against state sources on 2026-09-14. The table below has every number.
Taxes
Housing & Cost of Living
Crime & Safety
Healthcare
Education
Childcare
Utilities & Daily Costs
Social Policy
Category wins
6
California
10
Hawaii
Run the full slider tool to score these states against your specific income, home value, retirement, and lifestyle priorities.
Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is California or Hawaii better to live in?
It depends on what you weigh most. Hawaii on taxes ($7,821 a year for a median household against $10,957); California on everyday costs (index 142 against 196); Hawaii on safety (281 violent crimes per 100,000 against 499); California on schools (ranked 20th against 25th).
Which is cheaper, California or Hawaii?
California is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 142 against 196. The median home is $790K in California and $840K in Hawaii (2024). On state and local taxes Hawaii saves a median household about $3,100 a year.
Does California or Hawaii have lower taxes?
Hawaii. A household earning $74,580 pays about $10,957 a year in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax) and $7,821 in Hawaii ($4,559 income tax, $2,268 property tax on the median home and $993 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, California or Hawaii?
Hawaii, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 499 per 100,000 residents in California and 281 in Hawaii; property crime is 2,027 against 2,480.
Which has better schools, California or Hawaii?
California. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks California 20th of 50 for K-12 and Hawaii 25th.
Is California or Hawaii better for retirees?
Hawaii is friendlier to retirees on paper. California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax; Hawaii does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax. Property tax on a median home is $5,609 a year in California and $2,268 in Hawaii.