State comparison
Hawaii vs California: 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).
Hawaii
Moderate tax burden · COL index 196
Wins 10 categories
California
Moderate tax burden · COL index 142
Wins 6 categories
Taxes: Hawaii vs California
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 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. California wins on income tax at 2026 rates.
Property tax is 0.27% of home value a year in Hawaii and 0.71% in California (Tax Foundation, 2023); on each state's median home that is $2,268 against $5,609, so Hawaii has the lower rate.
Combined state and local sales tax averages 4.44% in Hawaii and 8.82% in California; Hawaii is lower.
Add it up for a household earning $74,580 (the 2022 national median) and owning the median home: $7,821 a year in Hawaii, $10,957 in California. Hawaii is cheaper on total state and local tax.
Housing and cost of living
Hawaii's cost of living index is 196 and California's is 142, where 100 is the national average; California is about 38% cheaper day to day.
The median home costs $840K in Hawaii and $790K in California (Zillow, 2024), a $50K gap in California's favor. A two-bedroom rents for about $2,500 a month in Hawaii and $2,300 in California.
Home insurance averages $500 a year in Hawaii and $2,100 in California, so Hawaii is cheaper to insure.
Safety
Violent crime runs 281 incidents per 100,000 residents in Hawaii and 499 in California (FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2023); Hawaii is the safer state by that measure, with a rate 78% lower. Property crime is 2,480 per 100,000 in Hawaii against 2,027 in California, again favoring California.
Health
Life expectancy is 80.7 years in Hawaii and 79.2 in California (County Health Rankings, 2024), a 1.5-year edge for Hawaii. The Commonwealth Fund's 2023 scorecard ranks Hawaii's health system 11th of 50 and California's 13th, so Hawaii scores better on care.
4.8% of Hawaii residents have no health insurance against 6.8% in California, which favors Hawaii. Both states expanded Medicaid.
Schools
Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Hawaii's K-12 schools 25th in the country and California's 20th, 5 places apart in California's favor. Neither state runs a school-choice voucher program.
Laws and politics
In the 2024 presidential election Hawaii went to Harris by 26 points and California went to Harris by 20 points.
Hawaii has may-issue carry permits and a Giffords gun-law grade of A; California 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 $14.00 an hour in Hawaii and $16.00 in California.
Climate and risk
Natural disaster risk is moderate in Hawaii (hurricane, tsunami, volcano) and very high in California (wildfire, earthquake, drought), so Hawaii is the lower-risk state. Annual average air quality index is 18 in Hawaii and 62 in California (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
10
Hawaii
6
California
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Score For My Profile →Questions people ask
Is Hawaii or California 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, Hawaii or California?
California is cheaper day to day: cost of living index 142 against 196. The median home is $840K in Hawaii and $790K in California (2024). On state and local taxes Hawaii saves a median household about $3,100 a year.
Does Hawaii or California have lower taxes?
Hawaii. A household earning $74,580 pays about $7,821 a year in Hawaii ($4,559 income tax, $2,268 property tax on the median home and $993 in sales tax) and $10,957 in California ($3,375 income tax, $5,609 property tax on the median home and $1,973 in sales tax), at 2026 rates.
Which is safer, Hawaii or California?
Hawaii, on the FBI's 2023 figures. Violent crime is 281 per 100,000 residents in Hawaii and 499 in California; property crime is 2,480 against 2,027.
Which has better schools, Hawaii or California?
California. Education Week's 2023 Quality Counts report ranks Hawaii 25th of 50 for K-12 and California 20th.
Is Hawaii or California better for retirees?
Hawaii is friendlier to retirees on paper. Hawaii does not tax Social Security, exempts pensions and has an estate tax; California does not tax Social Security, taxes pensions as income and has no estate or inheritance tax. Property tax on a median home is $2,268 a year in Hawaii and $5,609 in California.