The Price of Paradise: The Harsh Reality for Hawaii's Middle Class

So it’s hard to imagine that $100,000 for a family of four in Hawaii isn’t enough anymore. I was scrolling through the news feed and that headline caught my attention because I think we’re really feeling it now.

This $100K figure comes from an ALICE report by the Aloha United Way, which talks about the struggles of your everyday person in Hawaii - someone who works and is struggling to get by, but doesn’t qualify for many public assistance programs. Basically, your Hawaii lower-middle class.

And as an ALICE household in Hawaii, I wanted to share what it’s like living in Hawaii, where it’s getting to be more and more of a struggle. I want to talk about the numbers and the struggles of housing and other expenses. And also how I think people are managing, despite things continuing to get more expensive.

Aloha United Way ALICE 2023 Report - https://www.auw.org/alice-initiative

Intro - 0:00
What is an ALICE family in Hawaii? - 1:22
Hawaii Survival Budget and the Statistics - 1:39
Why $100,000 in Hawaii Isn't Enough - 2:54
Hawaii Housing Struggles - 4:07
Our Housing Situation - 5:48
Child Care Costs and Struggles in Hawaii - 7:08
General Cost of Living Struggles - 9:42
How Do Some Local Families Make It in Hawaii? - 11:02
Some Locals Live off Fixed Incomes or are Retired - 11:39
Some Locals Live at Home With Parents - 12:15
Some Locals Inherit a Home - 12:40
Some Locals Live With Consumer Debt - 12:50
Some Locals Operate on a Cash-based System - 13:55
Some Locals Stay on Government Assistance - 15:51
Closing Thoughts - 17:40

Filmed using the Canon M6 II.

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