Economy comparison of Kahului, Maui vs. other major cities

Economically Maui is on the upswing. Its high cost of living is balanced by its very low unemployment rate and projected future job growth.

Living on an island means that most goods have to be shipped to us, which increases our overall cost of living. In a tourist economy we also have higher taxes on things gasoline and eating at restaurants, but we compare favorably to Seattle and San Diego (also strong tourist destinations).

Island living costs more for housing because most of the materials are shipped from the mainland, off loaded in Honolulu and then brought to Maui by barge. The additional handling and travel time contribute to the higher cost of goods. Housing costs are also affected by vacation home owners and speculation buyers in a market that is on the upswing, which currently describes Maui. The County is working hard to resolve affordable housing issues.

Maui currently compares very favorably in terms of employment statistics. We are enjoying extremely low unemployment and a surge in job growth (not all reflected below as these are last year's numbers). Maui's tech sector has been one of the few experiencing growth while other locations are in decline during 2003 and 2004. All indicators continue to point to a rosy outlook for employment on Maui. The challenges we face are that there are not currently enough high paying jobs. Typica wages are lower than on the mainland. However, as competition for quality employees grows in the labor market, we expect to see an increase in wages.