Deciding on which of the six major islands in Hawaii to call home is a nice problem to have. They are all beautiful and have something to offer their residents. But each Hawaiian island has its downside, too. For example:
- Oahu has the highest job salaries. But it’s also the most densely populated.
- Maui has relatively low unemployment. But its average price for a condo is much higher than any of the other islands.
- The Big Island has the most affordable housing . But it also has the highest unemployment rate.
- Kauai has the fewest incidents of crime. But it has suffered from hurricanes more than the other islands.
- Lanai’s tallest building is just three stories high. But the island doesn’t have any Costco warehouse stores for buying cheap groceries.
- Although it’s a smaller island, Molokai has two newspapers and its own Chamber of Commerce. But it doesn’t have a college campus.
Choosing the island that’s the best fit for you and your family really depends on which factors are most important to you. Is finding the best-paying job of utmost importance? Are you looking to avoid heavy rainfall? Do you want to live in a quiet, sparsely populated area with lots of undeveloped land to roam? Or is affordable housing your primary concern?
There certainly is a lot to consider. To help you get started, I’ve compiled a bunch of statistics below on the different islands so you can do some “comparison shopping.” (Unless otherwise specified, the source of all statistics is the 2009 State of Hawaii Data Book.)
Land Area | Major Cities | Population | Density | Home Prices | Salaries | Unemployment | Crime | Hurricanes | Tsunamis | Earthquakes | Lava Flow | Vog | Climate | Attractions | Costco Stores | Libraries | UH Campuses | Tallest Buildings | Publications | Chambers of Commerce | County Websites
Hawaiian Islands Land Area
| Oahu | 596.7 square miles |
| Maui | 727. 2 square miles |
| Big Island | 4,028.0 square miles |
| Kauai | 552.3 square miles |
| Lanai | 140.5 square miles |
| Molokai | 260.0 square miles |
Major Cities & Towns
| Oahu | Honolulu, Waipahu, Pearl City, Waimalu, Mililani, Kapolei, Kaneohe, Kailua |
| Maui | Kahului, Lahaina, Kihei |
| Big Island | Hilo, Kailua-Kona, Waimea |
| Kauai | Lihue, Kapaa, Kalaheo, Koloa, Kilauea |
| Lanai | Lanai City |
| Molokai | Kaunakakai |
Population, 2009
| Oahu | 907,574 |
| Maui | (Source: Hawaii Tourism Authority) 131,531 |
| Big Island | 177,835 |
| Kauai | 64,529 |
| Lanai | (Source: Hawaii Tourism Authority) 3,193 |
| Molokai | (Source: Hawaii Tourism Authority) 8,000 |
Population Density, 2009
| Oahu | 1,521 people per square mile |
| Maui | 181 people per square mile |
| Big Island | 44 people per square mile |
| Kauai | 117 people per square mile |
| Lanai | 23 people per square mile |
| Molokai | 31 people per square mile |
Hawaiian Island’s Median Home Sales Price, 2009
| Single Family Home | Condo | |
|---|---|---|
| Oahu | $580,000 | $305,000 |
| Maui County (Maui, Lanai, Molokai) | $498,106 | $450,000 |
| Big Island | $278,800 | $275,000 |
| Kauai | $470,000 | $330,000 |
Average Annual Salary, Q1 2010
(Source: Hawaii Workforce Infonet)
| Oahu | $41,444 |
| Maui County (Maui, Lanai, Molokai) | $35,828 |
| Big Island | $34,944 |
| Kauai | $35,932 |
Unemployment
| Oahu | 5.1% |
| Maui County (Maui, Lanai, Molokai) | 7.8% |
| Big Island | 9.5% |
| Kauai | 8.5% |
Crime, 2008
| # Class I Offenses | # Class II Offenses | |
| Oahu | 34,356 | 63,656 |
| Maui County (Maui, Lanai, Kauai) | 6,371 | 26,108 |
| Big Island | 5,935 | 17,564 |
| Kauai | 2,792 | 5,922 |
Class I Offenses: Murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft.
Class II Offenses: Other assault, disorderly conduct, DUI, drug abuse violations, embezzlement, forgery & counterfeiting, fraud, gambling, liquor laws, manslaughter by negligence, offenses against family & children, prostitution & commercialized vice, sex offenses, stolen property, vagrancy, vandalism, and weapons offenses. Traffic cases are excluded.)
Major Hurricanes Since 1950
| Oahu |
1982 (1 death statewide, $234 million damage)
1992 (8 deaths statewide, $1.9 billion damage)
|
| Maui | 1986 (0 deaths, $2 million damage) |
| Big Island |
1978
1986 (0 deaths, $2 million damage)
|
| Kauai |
1950
1957
1959
1982
1992 (8 deaths statewide, $1.9 billion damage statewide)
|
| Lanai | None |
| Molokai | None |
Fatal Tsunamis Since 1946
| Oahu | 1946 (159 dead statewide) |
| Maui | 1946 (159 dead statewide) |
| Big Island |
1946 (159 dead statewide)
1960 in Hilo (61 dead)
1975 on southeast shore (2 dead)
|
| Kauai | 1946 (159 dead statewide) |
| Lanai | 1946 (159 dead statewide) |
| Molokai | 1946 (159 dead statewide) |
Earthquakes Of Richter Magnitude 5.0 Or Higher Since 1838
| Oahu |
5.3 in 1984
5.0 in 2003
|
| Maui |
6.5 in 1871
6.8 in 1938
5.1 in 1986
|
| Big Island |
Total of 36 quakes measuring 5.0+ since 1838.
Strongest ones since 1975:
7.2 in 1975
6.7 in 1983
6.7 in 2006
|
| Kauai | None |
| Lanai | None |
| Molokai | 6.5 in 1871 |
Lava Flow Coverage Of Major Volcanic Eruptions Since 1802
| Oahu | None |
| Maui | None |
| Big Island |
Mauna Loa:
112 sq km in 1950
14 sq km in 1975
48 sq km in 1984
Kilauea:
50 sq km in 1969
46 sq km in 1972
122 sq km in 1983
|
| Kauai | None |
| Lanai | None |
| Molokai | None |
Volcanic Smog
(Source: U.S. Geological Survey)
| Oahu | None |
| Maui | None |
| Big Island | The leeward Kona coast has a near-constant haze of vog, a smog formed from volcanic emissions. The sulfur dioxide in vog can irritate skin, eyes, nose, and throat, triggering asthma symptoms in those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. Depending on the wind currents, other areas of the Big Island can be affected by vog, too. For more info, check out these FAQs on vog. |
| Kauai | None |
| Lanai | None |
| Molokai | None |
Average Temperature (Fahrenheit) & Annual Rainfall
| City | Coldest Month | Hottest Month | Rainfall | |
| Oahu | Honolulu, Airport Honolulu, Manoa Kaneohe Kahuku Kapolei (Source: Weather.com) | 70 67 72 69 71 | 84 80 83 81 79 |
20 inches
152 inches
55 inches
41 inches
23 inches
|
| Maui | Hana Kihei Kahului Lahaina | 67 71 67 66 | 81 78 84 84 |
81 inches
15 inches
19 inches
14 inches
|
| Big Island |
Hilo
Naalehu
Kailua-Kona (Weather.com)
Puako
Waimea (Weather.com)
|
66
66
74
68
72
|
81
80
80
84
80
| 129 inches 48 inches 11 inches 9 inches 21 inches |
| Kauai |
Kilauea
Lihue
Poipu
Kekaha
|
67
70
70
65
|
80
81
83
85
|
68 inches
41 inches
34 inches
21 inches
|
| Lanai | Lanai City | 62 | 75 | 35 inches |
| Molokai | Molokai Airport | 68 | 81 | 26 inches |
Number Of Attractions
| Museums & Other Cultural Attractions | National Parks, Historic Trails, Historic Sites & Memorials | State Parks & Historic Sites | County Parks | |
| Oahu | 31 | 1 | 30 | 288 |
| Maui | 13 | 1 | 8 | 112 |
| Big Island | 17 | 5 | 19 | 126 |
| Kauai | 5 | 0 | 10 | 67 |
| Lanai | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Molokai | 2 | 1 | 2 | 13 |
Costco Store Locations
(Source: Costco.com)
| Oahu |
Kapolei
Waipahu
Honolulu (Iwilei)
Honolulu (Hawaii Kai)
|
| Maui | Kahului |
| Big Island | Kailua-Kona |
| Kauai | Lihue |
| Lanai | No locations |
| Molokai | No locations |
Number Of Public Libraries
| Oahu | 24 |
| Maui | 6 |
| Big Island | 13 |
| Kauai | 6 |
| Lanai | 1 |
| Molokai | 1 |
University Of Hawaii Campuses
(Source: Hawaii.edu)
| Universities | Community Colleges | |
| Oahu |
Honolulu
Pearl City
|
Honolulu (Diamond Head)
Honolulu (Airport)
Pearl City
Kaneohe
|
| Maui | None | Kahului |
| Big Island | Hilo | Hilo |
| Kauai | None | Lihue |
| Lanai | None | None |
| Molokai | None | None |
Tallest Buildings
| Building | Height | |
| Oahu | First Hawaiian Center | 438 feet |
| Maui | The Whaler | 170 feet |
| Big Island | Bayshore Towers | 135 feet |
| Kauai | Marriott Resort & Beach Club | 107 feet |
| Lanai | Four Seasons Manele Bay Hotel | 48 feet |
| Molokai | Molokai Light Station | 138 feet |
Publications
| Oahu | Honolulu Weekly Honolulu Magazine |
| Maui | Maui News Lahaina News Maui Weekly |
| Big Island | Hawaii Tribune-Herald West Hawaii Today |
| Kauai | The Garden Island |
| Lanai | None are currently available online |
| Molokai | Molokai Advertiser-News The Molokai Dispatch |
Chambers Of Commerce
| Oahu | Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii Kailua Chamber of Commerce North Shore Chamber of Commerce |
| Maui | Maui Chamber of Commerce |
| Big Island | Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce |
| Kauai | Kauai Chamber of Commerce |
| Lanai | None are currently available online |
| Molokai | Molokai Chamber of Commerce |
County Websites
| Oahu | City and County of Honolulu |
| Maui | County of Maui |
| Big Island | County of Hawaii |
| Kauai | County of Kauai |
| Lanai | County of Maui |
| Molokai | County of Maui |
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