Moving from California to Hawaii: Costs, Distance & What to Know
Last reviewed 2026-09-07 · Next review due 2026-10-05
A typical 3-bedroom move from California to Hawaii runs about $4,200-$6,720 nationally (use the calculator for a number based on your actual move). In the most recent Census-based year available (2023 ACS 1-year (net); 2024 ACS 1-year, secondary-sourced (state breakdown)), about 10,500 people made this exact move — from California to Hawaii.
Moving from California to Hawaii? Compare quotes from licensed interstate movers.
Get free quotesWho is making this move
Directional flow counts and rankings here are drawn directly from each state's own already-published, Census-sourced migration snapshot — see the California and Hawaii moving cost hubs for the full picture of who moves in and out of each state, not just this one corridor.
- California → Hawaii
- 10,500
- Hawaii → California
- 9,900
Data year: 2023 ACS 1-year (net); 2024 ACS 1-year, secondary-sourced (state breakdown)
Side by side
| California | Hawaii | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 39,529,000 | 1,432,820 |
| Major metro | Los Angeles–Long Beach–Anaheim | Urban Honolulu CDP |
| Income tax | Highest top marginal rate in the country: 13.3% combined (12.3% top bracket + 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1M). | graduated individual income tax, 1.4% to 11.00% across 12 brackets, one of the highest top marginal rates of any state. Tax Foundation — Hawaii |
See the full California moving cost hub and Hawaii moving cost hub for each state’s complete migration, cost and relocation picture.
Typical moving costs
These are national moving-industry planning ranges scaled by home size, not California-to-Hawaii-specific pricing — the same benchmarks used across every state hub and route page on this site. Once enough priced California↔Hawaii city-pair corridors are live, this table can be replaced with a real corridor-specific range.
| Home size | Local | Long-distance |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $600-$1,050 | $1,250-$2,000 |
| 1 Bedroom | $800-$1,400 | $2,000-$3,200 |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,100-$1,925 | $3,000-$4,800 |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,400-$2,450 | $4,200-$6,720 |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,800-$3,150 | $5,500-$8,800 |
| 5+ Bedroom | $2,200-$3,850 | $7,000-$11,200 |
For a number tailored to your actual move, use the moving cost calculator.
New-resident deadlines
| State | Topic | Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| California | Driver's license | New CA residents must obtain a California driver's license within 10 days of establishing residency. |
| California | Vehicle registration | Out-of-state vehicles must be registered within 20 days of becoming a resident. |
| Hawaii | Driver's license | New residents have 30 days from establishing residency to transfer an out-of-state license to a Hawaii driver's license. |
| Hawaii | Vehicle registration | Vehicles brought from another state must be registered in Hawaii within 30 days of taking possession/establishing residency, and must pass a state safety inspection ($25.75 fee) plus carry Hawaii no-fault auto insurance before registration. |
Live city-to-city routes
No published city-to-city route pages between California and Hawaii yet — they will appear here as they publish.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does it cost to move from California to Hawaii?
National planning ranges for a long-distance move run $4,200-$6,720 for a 3-bedroom home, scaling down to $1,250-$2,000 for a studio. These are the same national benchmarks used across every route on this site, not a California-Hawaii-specific figure — use the moving cost calculator for a number based on your actual move.
- How many people move from California to Hawaii each year?
About 10,500 people made this move in 2023 ACS 1-year (net); 2024 ACS 1-year, secondary-sourced (state breakdown), per Census Bureau state-to-state migration data.
- Do I need a new driver's license after moving from California to Hawaii?
New residents have 30 days from establishing residency to transfer an out-of-state license to a Hawaii driver's license.
- What's the income tax difference between California and Hawaii?
California: Highest top marginal rate in the country: 13.3% combined (12.3% top bracket + 1% Mental Health Services Tax on income over $1M).. Hawaii: graduated individual income tax, 1.4% to 11.00% across 12 brackets, one of the highest top marginal rates of any state. Tax Foundation — Hawaii.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — State-to-State Migration Flows
- Census Bureau — 2023 in-migration confirmation
- CA Franchise Tax Board
- CA DMV — New Resident
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Hawaii
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Honolulu County, Hawaii
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Hilo CDP, Hawaii
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts — Kailua CDP (Honolulu County), Hawaii
