Civil Beat: Struggling To Survive: Hawaiʻi Residents Take On Debt, Think About Leaving

Photo credit: Jeremy Hay/Civil Beat/2025

Honolulu Civil Beat
January 14, 2025
By Jeremy Hay

“Money is tight pretty much all the time. So after paying their rent, Puaʻena Vierra and her wife rack up credit card debt for groceries, medical expenses and other necessities.

They are among a quarter of households in Hawaiʻi who spent more than their income in 2024. 

To make up the difference, people used savings and credit cards and cut expenses. They worked more hours or an extra job. They sold belongings. They borrowed money from family and friends, or banks or other lenders and overdrew their checking accounts.”