Where Hawaii Ranks 10

Hawaii is sometimes the paradise that everybody imagines. And, it sometimes is just the opposite. That’s why it’s so interesting to compare Hawaii and Honolulu with other U.S. metropolitan areas and other countries.

Most Expensive Rent (Center for Housing Policy, 3^rd Quarter 2011)

1.       San Francisco, CA ($1,833/two-bedroom)

2.       Santa Cruz, CA ($1,730)

3.       HONOLULU, HI ($1,702)

4.       San Jose, CA ($1,702)

5.       Suffolk-Nassau, NY ($1,661)

Most Expensive Home Ownership (Center for Housing Policy, 3^rd Quarter 2011)

1.       San Francisco, CA ($585,000)

2.       New York, NY ($450,000)

3.       San Jose, CA ($443,000)

4.       HONOLULU, HI ($425,000)

5.       Santa Ana, CA ($395,000)

Keeping New Year’s Resolutions (Livability.com, 2011)

1.       HONOLULU, HI

2.       Fort Collins, CO

3.       West Des Moines, IA

4.       San Jose, CA

5.       Provo, UT

Top Cruise Destinations (Cruise Holidays 2012 Cruise Trends)

1.       Caribbean (59.88% of bookings)

2.       Europe (11.47%)

3.       Alaska (6.7%)

4.       Bermuda (4.7%)

5.       HAWAII (2.78%)

Top Windsurfing Spots (Forbes.com, 2002)

1.       Wellington, New Zealand

2.       Lac Bay, Bonaire

3.       Lake Arenal, Costa Rica

4.       The Outer Banks, North Carolina

5.       HO’OKIPA, MAUI, HAWAII