The title of this post is blatantly copied from a popular book, but it’s a question many visitors ask themselves, and a few ask me. Indeed, I had to ask it of myself before I made the move, back in 2003.
So I thought I’d answer an email on the subject:
We are thinking about moving our young family to Kauai.
We absolutely love the island! We will be renting a house, as it is so expensive to buy, what is the best
area to live? We are thinking Kilauea or Kapaa?? Any advice you can give us would be much appreciated.
How are prices for food, gas, utilities???
First, I have written two other posts mostly on this topic. The first was way back when I started this blog, from someone who wasn’t quite as decided as the person above. Hey, Bill, if you’re still reading, leave a comment about your thoughts and eventual preparations for moving to Kauai. Then there one of my more recent posts, about having to move away. So here is my answer from the whole experience.
There is no “best” area to live, it all depends on your preferences and
expectations. We chose Kapaa because it is centrally located. I think if you
live in the north or south, you won’t drive the 2 hours to the other side more
than a few times a year. But some people might want to live in a “smaller” place and not feel pressured to go everywhere.
In addition, Kapa’a is generally middle class (for Hawaii at least), and has
the largest (and therefore somewhat more affordable) choice of housing. For
these very same reasons, it is also where the most transplants end up, and so
you’ll find more people like yourselves, which makes it easier to meet them.
The Kapa’a area also has the most grocery stores (although the huge Safeway
planned in Lihue will change that—as well as the small island feel).
One thing I recommend is to avoid the inland parts of Kapa’a if you can. This
is where the most choice and least expensive housing is located, but it’s also
the dampest and always a 15 minute drive to town. We rented up there for a
year, but then we bought our house in the neighborhood called the Wailua
Houselots, between the Sleeping Giant and Wailua Beach.
Lihu’e is nice, still centrally located, and closer to a lot of things (government
offices that you’ll visit a lot at first, bigger library, the biggest gym, the
only real movie theatre left, big stores such as Walmart, Kmart, Barnes and
Noble, Costco, and the only mall—which is convenient even if shopping is not
your thing). The southern side of Lihue is called Puhi, that’s where most of
the shopping is, but it’s also the area that is being developed to look like
California.
Kilauea is closer to Hanalei and the North Shore, but it isn’t a coastal town
like downtown Kapa’a. There are 2 beaches nearby, but they can only be accessed
by trail or dirt road. It is a great neighborhood, friendly and unpretentious
middle-class. We had friends that lived there even though they had a long
commute to Lihue. But there are only a few convenience stores there and
natural foods store, which are more expensive.
You didn’t ask, but here’s my impression of the other main residential areas:
- Princeville: relatively expensive and a bit sterile, like a retirement
community. Plus there is lots of construction so it seems a bit noisy. They do
have a great library, a full grocery (but the most expensive on the island),
and Hanalei is nearby. - Hanalei and Haena beyond: 100% Kauai-style living, if you can afford it and
overlook the vacation rentals. There few affordable long-term rentals, but
they can be had. It’s not completely overrun with tourists and shops yet, but
close. Lifestyle is so laid-back, you’ll find it difficult to go visit the
rest of the island. I think it would be too insular for my taste. - Koloa/Poipu: Koloa would be a nice town but it just doesn’t seem to achieve
critical mass of conveniences: small library, small groceries, small
neighborhoods, lots of through-traffic. Poipu is overrun with tourists, there
are only a few residential streets. Still, if you want the most sunshine and
the vacation-everyday experience, this is the place. If you have to go to work
and live frugally, forget it. - Hanapepe/Waimea/Kekaha: now you’re in local territory, which means lots of
friendly locals and a few resentful locals. Hanapepe is a quaint little town,
very artsy, the most tourist friendly. Waimea and Kekaha are the cheapest
places to live on the island, so a lot of locals have to move there. Hanapepe
has the nicest beach, Waimea the least swimmable, and all 3 get very hot in
the summer.
The deciding factor for you might be schools. Kilauea and Hanalei have good
gradeschools, from what I’ve heard, Kapa’a and Lihu’e are decent. Near Kilauea
is the private K-12 Kula School, I’ve heard decent things about it, but
there’s only a few kids in each class. There are only 3 high schools, Kapa’a,
Lihu’e (called Kaua’i HS) and Waimea. Unless your kids really have street smarts
and something I would call a rural attitude, I’m not sure they will fit in very
well. Plus academics aren’t that great, I hear they don’t have real AP
classes. Kapa’a and Lihu’e have middle schools which are somewhere between the
innocence of grade schools and the issues with the high schools. The west side
of Lihu’e, Puhi, has the private and pricey Island School, widely recognized as
the best pre-K-12 on the island–that’s where a lot of the transplant kids go,
mostly haoles (ie white).
Regarding prices…
Unless you’re coming from California or the East Coast, housing costs are indeed
expensive. Actually, it is somewhat less than big-city California in my experience,
but without all the employment opportunities. Rents have come down a
bit, but they’re hitting a floor where the landlords can’t go much lower due
to their own high mortgages. In any case, you’ll need a trust fund or some
stable form of income if you expect to stay permanently. I lost my job and had
too leave—not fun.
To me, the price of food it the biggest myth. Yes, food is expensive if you
eat lots of convenience and processed foods that have to be shipped from the
mainland to the local supermarket. Milk, even though it comes from small producers
on the Big Island, is twice the price as California. We solved that problem by
drinking soy milk, which was just as expensive until Costco arrived (about
$ 1 per quart there).
We always go to the farmer’s market every week
and buy local produce. Then just substitute all the local things into your
recipes: sweet potatoes for regular potatoes, chard for spinach, etc. Eat
local fruit, even from your yard and your neighbor’s (do not underestimate the
value and goodness of an avocado tree at your rental property), avoid apples
and store-bought fruit. We never had a big garden, but a few bananas and
salad greens are healthy and don’t require too much work.
We would even buy a
fair amount at Papaya’s, the biggest natural food store in Kapaa. It is
overpriced (think Whole Foods but without all the glitz), but if you buy the bulk items (we baked our own bread in a bread machine) and stock up on sale items, you get can get by without spending a
premium. Same goes for those things from the regular grocery that you
inevitably need (beer, toilet paper, etc.): watch the sales every week and
stock up. The way we cook and eat, I found it no more expensive than the
mainland, sometimes cheaper.
Gas prices vary a lot, definitely more than on the mainland, but more uniform,
so you don’t drive around worrying about finding the cheapest gas. They’re
cheaper than downtown San Francisco, but more expensive than the California
average, and significantly more than the national average. Costco has cheap
gas. Contrary to California, Shell is consistently the cheapest on-island,
especially the station in Wailua. If you have a Shell Mastercard that gives
you 5% back on their gas, it’s as cheap as Costco and more
convenient. Actually, there local newspaper hosts a web page with current prices. For comparison, it’s about $2.00 /gal in
San Francisco, $1.75 outside of town, and I saw $1.55 in Texas over the holidays.
Utilities are the biggest shock, definitely 2 to 3 times more than CA, but
even then, there are ways to save. Kauai has the highest electric rates in the
whole country, so look for houses with gas appliances and hot water. Gas is
expensive too, but more efficient and comes out cheaper. Best of all is solar
hot water, as well as a covered clothesline; look for those in a house to save
you at least $100/month. Then install compact fluorescent light bulbs if the
rental doesn’t have them already.
That’s just an overview of the items I can think of. Feel free to ask more details in the comments. Readers, feel free to add your own examples of how Kaua’i is so expensive, or ways you’ve found to cope.
PS: I have gotten some other interesting emails and blog comments recently, I’ll answer them soon.
Thanks so much. Great info! We are arriving on Kauai the beginning of February. We are all so excited! We have a rental in Princeville…we wanted to be at Hanalei Elem. I am a bit bummed that Princelle is “a bit sterile”…Our lease is up in 5 months, that will give us time to see if Kauai works for us and where we will want to be permanantly. Preschools? My daughter will start in a few months. Thanks for the heads up on the farmers markets! Can’t wait to get there!
Thanks again,
Stacey
I too would love to move to Kauai but have realized that the dream might only become a reality in retirement, which is 30 some years away. There are just so few professional jobs on the island that it would be impossible to move at this time. In the meantime, my wife and I are stocking away as much money as possible for retirement.
Aloha,
Fred
Hello Andy,
Well, still reading, but sorry to hear about your bad luck. We had wondered about you when we heard about the layoffs at your work. Sadly, we felt it likely you were a part of the riff.
We were last in Kauai in July 2008 for our fifth trip in four years. However that streak will end this year. Once again, the economic downturn is largely responsible. We are trying to be more prudent with out spending.
So you might imagine that any preparations and dreams we have of moving to Kauai are pretty far on the back burner. I would guess that those who do have the money are finding great deals over there now. And I would guess there may be many like you who have had to retreat back to the Mainland. That’s pretty sad and I feel sorry for all affected.
Take care,
Bill
I love Kauai from the first time I see and heard about…I wish I could move there…but it is soo far away (I live in Romania) and you need a lot of paper to make for the visa…But I can dream that I am living there… :)
My nephew & 2 neices go to Island School. There are way more brown skinned children and Asians at Island School than haoles. The haoles are the minority.
5 kids in my nephew’s class also have Hawaiian/Asian mix.
Howzit!
I left Hawaii (Big Island) after Bush was elected, hoping to start a new life in Thailand. Well, I’ve spent enough time here now, and Bush is out, and thought about returning home – but not to the Big Island, but Kauai.
I have a lot of questions, and haven’t found much in the way of local chat rooms or forums for Kauai, for getting answers.
Basically, I’d like to come back, start a small recording studio, and get some lease-hold land for growing food, getting involved in a co-op, and investinf in solar energy. Possibly building the studio, barn & out buildings from recycled shipping containers.
From the little I’ve been able to find out almost all these ideas are impossible. I hear that lease-hold properties are mostly a thing of the past, (and probably any other method for obtaining a couple acres are out of my budget). I’ve heard that building permits, won’t allow for shipping containers (no matter how hurricane-proof, beautifully modified, or integrated into the landscape they are) – even though I know a couple who made a geodesic dome home out of automobile roofs there about 30 years ago that probably blew away during Eva in ‘82.
As far as the music scene there, I don’t know what’s going on.
Can anyone comment on the issues raised above? Are there any active forums where real questions can be raised?
Thanks! Buzz
Hi Buzz,
Sad to say, but yes, those ideas are no longer possible on Kaua’i. I saw one lease-hold property when we were house-hunting in 2004, but none since then. There’s still some ag-land, but even in this depressed market, it has been speculated and flipped to outrageous prices. And while you can easily put a shipping container on vacant land, you won’t be able to turn it into a permitted building. The building inspectors and the county are really cracking down on that. Your best bet might be a yurt, but you still need to find the land to put it on. There used to be tent accomodations in exchange for work on the north shore organic farms, but the county cracked down on those too. But maybe if you find the person with the land, you could bring your own container to an out of the way place.
A co-op would be the way to go, but I only know of one, and it’s more of a community housing project. I don’t know the current status of the project, but here’s the contact info I found: Ileina Lane Community, Hedda Schmutz, http://www.heddaarchitecture.com/contact/. The problem is the same again, land is so expensive that it’s hard to have a grass-roots organization that starts from scratch. The other person I heard of wanting to start some sort of community was a multi-millionaire, and I don’t think he got off the ground.
I’m not much into the music scene, though I do know the north shore is more of where it’s at. There are various small artists doing concerts for friends, and a few big names who have retired here part time, not much in between that’s local. Unfortunately, Kauai is a small place, and while you’re certain to find like minded people on Kaua’i, there just aren’t that many to have any forums that I know of–though that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there. The only one I can think of is kkcr.org, Kauai Community Radio, who might have some local talent, or at least local DJs who know the scene.
Ironically, I usually think of the Big Island as a place where more of your goals are possible. There’s more land, it’s cheaper, and since it is often isolated and off the grid, alternative structures, solar/wind energy and water collecting are common. With the larger population, there’s more music too, or at least it seemed that way from the advertising when I was visiting there.
In the end, I’m perhaps not connected enough to the people and community you seek, so I can’t really tell you whether what you want is possible or impossible. Your best bet might be to visit both islands and try to make some contacts and get a feel for the possibilities.
Hi Andy – thanks for responding.
A lot of the ideas I listed in my last post were things I was going to do here in Thailand. Foreigner’s can indirectly own land here, but they could change the laws in a heart-beat, and all you’re hard work would be down the drain.
I spent just under half my life in Hawaii, mostly on Oahu. I moved to the Big Island in 2000, but left the day Bush started the War in Iraq.
My idea was to create a sustainable, green life-style.
After living Thailand almost 7 years I realize there’s no place like home, so I want to come back. But not to Oahu.
I agree with what you said about BI being the place for me to realize more of what I’m thinking. But during my 3 years I noticed one major part missing from the picture. I’ve been a Scuba diver for 48 years, boater, sailor, fisherman, and Hilo side is OK but it’s way hard to get easy access to the ocean. All kinds of lava rock cliffs with dangerous boat ramps about 30 miles apart (except for in Hilo town). Kona’s got all that but property’s way expensive. And my days as an opihi picker are long-since past!
I just wanted to set up some hurricane-proof dwellings. One for myself that would double as a recording studio (non-pro). And some more for people who want to do some farming and be self-sufficient.
It’s hard to do on Kauai because the laws don’t favor a lot of these ideas.
I don’t know what the future holds, but even if things didn’t change a bit, my ideas would do no harm. However I think Kauai, (and a lot of other places on Earth) need to get away from relying 80% or so on things from off-island, get back to the ways the Ancient Hawaiian’s did things, consider restoring the fish ponds, and stop thinking tourism and oil are forever.
I will contact the email you gave me. Here’s mine in case anyone wants to contact me. buzzer@thaivisa.com
Thanks again – Buzz
Hi Buzz,
I’m afraid the ocean around Kaua’i is not much calmer. There are only two boat docks (Nawiliwili and Port Allen) and a few more ramps (and only one on the north shore). Hanalei has awesome mooring in the summer, but you have to go back to Nawiliwili the rest of the year. Scuba-wise, there are a few spots, the only real good one being 17 miles over by Niihau (Lehua)–at least from what I’ve heard as a land-lubber. The Big Island is known to have better conditions for diving: more lava equals less dirt equals less runoff and clearer water. Truth is, Hawaii has been discovered and all the people like me who tried to move there with California salaries drove up prices. I don’t think it’s a question of laws, it’s a question of the market forces. And all the opihi is gone now too.
I too believe Kaua’i can and should be more self-sufficient, at least food and energy-wise. My wish is that the residents, native and recently-arrived, learn to live less wastefully and more in tune with land.
Hi Andy,
Sorry, in advance, for a rather long ‘comment’.
My older brother lived on Kauai for about 9 years, helped found the Nawiliwili Yacht Club, and worked as a PADI instructor there (and for many years on Oahu before that). I was a PADI instructor on Oahu. He didn’t like the diving there as much as Kona which is the best, or even Oahu, which has a lot of great spots.
Roughness of the ocean isn’t the concern. The concern is where can I get in the water? On Oahu I could go swimming by taking a short walk, or diving by driving and parking at a dive site. As I get older swimming for health has taken precedence over diving for sport.
The problem was access. If I wanted to even just go for a swim starting from where I lived in Hakalau – Big Island. The ocean was only 2 miles from my house, but, at that location, it was all a’a lava rock, or a messy stream you could get in by. The closest reasonable place to go swimming was a 1 hour round trip drive to Hilo. I wasn’t into a commute every day just to go swimming. Whereas I might go diving occasionally now, I like to swim every day. This is a ‘bottom line’ for where I need to live.
This problem about “market forces” is really true! In the 80s Japanese investors drove the prices up in Hawaii big-time, but it was happening before that… forever. And today I can’t imagine anyone on an average salary buying a home there and raising a family. Those of Hawaiian ancestry are the worst victims. If they were lucky enough to have inherited property, or received a good education and got well connected maybe they’re fairly well off, but for most that isn’t the case.
Here in Thailand is a similar problem. The foreign investor comes here and looks at a piece of land and thinks “cheap” something the Thai’s think “expensive”, so the prices go up and up, and the poor Thai’s are kicking themselves because they should have bought that land even thought they thought it expensive, or they shouldn’t have sold it off a piece at a time for pennies on the dollar. It’s a real mess, and I feel heartbroken for them, and their future.
Kauai – and virtually any other place on planet earth that you can name – needs to become more self-sufficient.
I was watching a program called “David Suzuki’s The Nature of Things” the segment was called “Cuba:The Accidental Revolution”. Prior to the breakup of the Soviet Bloc in 1989, Cuba always had someone they could trade with, get oil for their cars, medicine for the sick, food for their people and export markets to sell their sugar and mangos to, etc. That abruptly ended in 1989, and all of a sudden they had to resort to thinking. They were poor and starving, and had all their fields tied up in sugar, mangos, bananas – things for export. All huge state run farms also were energy hogs. Since then, through small, privately owned farms, they’ve turned things around amazingly. They grow huge varieties of organic food, using every trick in the book, (and inventing some new ones). These use very little energy, and being a farmer is a lucrative occupation. They have dozens of farms right in downtown Havana, making the environment better there too. If you can find it online, I highly recommend doing so.
Now, America has tasted of disaster. First the Savings & Loan debacle, now this latest recession. We’ve tasted! Hope we never have to drink it down. If we do, agricultural diversity and preparedness can only be a good thing.
I’m still hoping for a forum, or even just an individual or two that I could discuss various questions, and find out what kind of green ‘people oriented’ resources are on Kauai. Hawaii is my home, but compared to decades on Oahu, and a short time on BI, I spent only short periods on Kauai visiting my brother, except for one 2-3 month period when I was actively looking to move there around 1980.
So, I know, basically, what to expect if I moved back to Oahu, or Hilo side, but am a lot more interested in Kauai. Specifically, whether I’d fit in there well with my music, finding a place nearby for swimming or diving and my desire to live green.
I think I can do that. And plan to move there in the next few months. But the big question is about finding a place for my recording studio. This involves a lot of questions. I’ve seen some land available – but it could be junk. Then, I don’t think Hawaii would let me build as cheap as I need to (with shipping containers). I’d need to find some farmers to work with.
There’s so many questions that I really have to just set my sights in that direction and get them answered by living there for a while, meeting people, and getting them answered that way.
Still, thank you Andy. And if you or anyone who finds this wishes to comment, please do so, also you’ll find my email address in a previous comment if you wish to contact me directly.
Thanks – Buzz
Are there no geothermal energy plants that produces electric in Kauai ?
Greetings from Iceland ;)
Aloha Leif (if you ever come back to check on your post)
Gee, ur, uh… Geothermal in Hawaii? Well, there is on the Big Island. But it’s a complex issue. To do so is to disrespect the Hawaiians belief system. Specifically their much revered goddess, Pele.
They were there first, you know, and they would still be in control if it wasn’t for some hi-jinx on the part of American businessmen and military. They put the Sovereign Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani under house arrest – sort of like Aung San Suu Kyi. Thus hijacking the roots of power from the rightful leaders and owners of that land. In about 1895 this well educated and enlightened monarch wanted to restore the power of the Monarchy, and, well, it was a black day for the Hawaiians in the furtherance of American interests.
Today, if you want geothermal power there, you are going to get a lot of heat from Hawaiian activists, and even people like me. I don’t share their beliefs, but I share their heart. However, realistically, as bad as it was, the majority of the damage has been done. Now Hawaii is a State, and the rights of all have to be considered. I just wish the Hawaiians were considered with the highest priority.
Scientifically, if it didn’t offend anyone, on the surface, it seems a pretty good idea. Below the surface may be another problem. I don’t know what kind of gasses it releases into the atmosphere. I know it stinks bad! So, not being a scientist, I don’t know how ‘green’ it is.
All my information is old, however. I’ve lived in Thailand since 2003. Before that I lived about 40 minutes drive from the one geothermal station I knew about.
Hope this helps – Buzz