Hawaii to New Mexico Moving Guide
Updated June 7, 2025

Planning a interstate move from Hawaii to New Mexico? This moving guide will help you compare living in Hawaii vs New Mexico across 7 important categories. Compare the pros & cons (like high cost of living vs affordable living expenses), food & health (like Poke vs Green Chile), real estate & housing (plantation, modern vs pueblo, territorial), weather & wardrobe, cost of living & taxes (it's more expensive in Hawaii), politics & religion, and education.
Key Takeaways:
- Say goodbye to Poke and Kalua Pig, but get your taste buds ready for Green Chile & Carne Adovada
- New Mexico housing costs are 65% less expensive than they are in Hawaii
- Rent in New Mexico is 53.55% more affordable than in Hawaii
- Our top recommended Hawaii to New Mexico movers is JP Moving
Hawaii to New Mexico Moving Guide
Pros and Cons of Moving from Hawaii to New Mexico
- High cost of living
- Limited job opportunities
- Island isolation
- Humidity
- Tourist traffic
- Affordable living expenses
- Diverse job market
- Continental access
- Dry climate
- Quieter lifestyle
- Lack of lush landscapes
- No coastline
- Fewer cultural celebrations
- Arid desert environment
- Cold winters
- Tropical beauty
- Warm ocean waters
- Rich Polynesian culture
- Diverse ecosystems
- Year-round warmth
Pros of moving from Hawaii to New Mexico
- Say goodbye to the high cost of living and hello to affordable living expenses
- Look forward to moving away from limited job opportunities and moving to New Mexico with a diverse job market
- Swap the island isolation of Hawaii for continental access in New Mexico
- Get ready for a dry climate in New Mexico
Cons of moving from Hawaii to New Mexico
- Unfortunately, you'll be moving away from the tropical beauty in Hawaii to live with a lack of lush landscapes in New Mexico
- You'll lose out on the pro of warm ocean waters and have to settle for the con of no coastline
- Time to bid farewell to the rich Polynesian culture and get used to fewer cultural celebrations in New Mexico
- Swap diverse ecosystems for an arid desert environment
Hawaii vs. New Mexico: Comparing the Local Foodie Scene
Comparison | Hawaii | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Most iconic local food item | Poke | Green Chile |
Most popular meat dish | Kalua Pig | Carne Adovada |
Most popular street food item | Spam Musubi | Tacos |
Most popular vegan food | Taro-based dishes | Blue Corn Pancakes |
Top 3 iconic restaurants that summarize the state |
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Fitness/Health Conscientiousness | 💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪 | 💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪💪 |
Abundance of Food Trucks | 🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚 | 🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚🚚 |
Foodie Scene | 🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴 | 🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴🍴 |
Vegan Friendly | 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 | 🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱 |
If you're moving from Hawaii to New Mexico, you will be trading the iconic Poke of Hawaii for the equally delicious Green Chile of New Mexico. And while the locals in Hawaii rave about their flavorful Kalua Pig and sumptuous Spam Musubi, New Mexico residents know they have tasty Carne Adovada and Tacos to savor. While the vegan transplants might be saying goodbye to the Taro-based dishes they've grown to love, they can get ready for the Blue Corn Pancakes of New Mexico. In the days before your move, make sure you get one final trip to iconic Hawaii eateries like Helena's Hawaiian Food, Duke's Waikiki, and Leonard's Bakery. After the boxes are unpacked in New Mexico, don't wait too long before making your way to New Mexico's acclaimed eateries like Sadie's of New Mexico, Frontier Restaurant, and El Modelo.
When comparing lifestyles, New Mexico shows less emphasis on fitness and health consciousness than Hawaii. Food truck fans will discover a less desirable selection in New Mexico compared to what you are used to in Hawaii. Also, the overall foodie scene is less bustling in New Mexico.
Real Estate & Lifestyle Differences between Hawaii and New Mexico
Comparison | Hawaii | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Typical Architecture Style | Plantation, Modern | Pueblo, Territorial |
Walkability | 👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟 | 👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟👟 |
Bikeability | 🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲 | 🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲🚲 |
Urban Lifestyle | 🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️ | 🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️🏛️ |
Most popular items mentioned in real estate listing | Oceanview, Lanai | Adobe, Mountain View |
- The Plantation and Modern architecture that Hawaii is known for will be replaced with the Pueblo and Territorial architecture typical of New Mexico.
- Compared to Hawaii's real estate listings that commonly reference ocean views and lanais, New Mexico real estate listings often highlight features like adobe and mountain views.
- You can keep your walking shoes packed away. New Mexico is less walkable than Hawaii.
- You might want to think twice before moving your bike. New Mexico is less bike-friendly than Hawaii.
- New Mexico has less of an urban feel than Hawaii.
- New Mexico housing costs are 65% less expensive than they are in Hawaii, with a median home price of $300,227 compared to Hawaii’s $858,106.
- Over the prior 5 years, home prices in New Mexico have increased by 56% compared to a 38% increase in Hawaii.
- Rent in New Mexico is 53.55% more affordable than in Hawaii.
Your Move, Your Forecast: Key Weather Differences between Hawaii and New Mexico
Comparison | Hawaii | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Days of Sunshine per Year | ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ | ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️ |
Avg. Annual Humidity | 💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦 | 💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦💦 |
Avg. UV Index | 🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️ | 🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️🕶️ |
Natural Disasters | Hurricanes, Tsunamis | Wildfires, Floods |
Air Quality | Good | Varies |
Average Summer High/Low (°F) | 85°F / 70°F | 92°F / 64°F |
Average Winter High/Low (°F) | 78°F / 63°F | 49°F / 23°F |
Annual Rainfall (Inches) | 63.7" | 14.6" |
Annual Snowfall (Inches) | 0" | 26" |
- Break out the sunglasses for your move from Hawaii to New Mexico. New Mexico gets 3% more sunshine days than Hawaii.
- New Mexico has lower humidity and a lower average UV index compared to Hawaii.
- Say goodbye to the possible hurricanes and tsunamis in Hawaii but be on the lookout for potential wildfires and floods in New Mexico.
- Get ready for warmer summers. The average summer high temperature in New Mexico is 7 degrees warmer than in Hawaii.
- The average winter lows are 40 degrees colder than they are in Hawaii.
- Your umbrella might be neglected in New Mexico. New Mexico receives 49.1 fewer inches of rain compared to Hawaii.
Financial & Community Snapshot: Hawaii and New Mexico
Comparison | Hawaii | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Avg. Household Income | $92,458 | $59,726 |
Cost of Living Index | 165.7 | 96.45 |
State Income Tax | 11% | 5.9% |
Avg. Property Tax | 0.27% | 0.78% |
Avg. Sales Tax | 4.44% | 7.82% |
Top 3 Industries | Tourism, Defense, Agriculture | Oil, Gas, Agriculture |
Affluence | Wealthy | Moderate |
Poverty | Low | High |
Homelessness | High | Moderate |
- When it comes to your monthly paycheck, residents in New Mexico tend to earn about 35% less than in Hawaii
- The COLI in New Mexico will be 42% lower than what you are used to living in Hawaii
- The state income tax in NM is 5.9% compared to 11% in HI
- The affluence in New Mexico is moderate compared to wealthy in Hawaii
- The poverty level is high in New Mexico compared to low in Hawaii
- In terms of homelessness, it is high in Hawaii and moderate in New Mexico
Political and Religious Climate in Hawaii vs. New Mexico
Comparison | Hawaii | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Political Make-up | Democratically inclined | Leans Democratic |
Local Politics | High engagement in environmental and indigenous rights issues | Active engagement in healthcare, education, and immigration reform |
Religion | Christianity predominates, with a significant Buddhist presence | Diverse religious landscape, Christianity most prevalent |
- Hawaii tends to lean democratically inclined in its political climate
- New Mexico, on the other hand, is often described as leaning Democratic
- New Mexico's religious environment can be described as a diverse religious landscape, with Christianity being the most prevalent
- Hawaii's residents' religious practices can be generally categorized as Christianity predominating, with a significant Buddhist presence
Education Guide When Moving from Hawaii to New Mexico
Comparison | Hawaii | New Mexico |
---|---|---|
Where most Seniors go to college (top 3) | University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii Pacific University Chaminade University of Honolulu | University of New Mexico New Mexico State University Eastern New Mexico University |
Top 3 Elementary Schools | Momilani Elementary School (Pearl City) Manoa Elementary School (Manoa) Noelani Elementary School (Honolulu) | Double Eagle Elementary School (Albuquerque) Wood Gormley Elementary School (Santa Fe) Hubert Humphrey Elementary School (Albuquerque) |
Top 3 Middle Schools | Iolani School (Honolulu) Punahou School (Honolulu) Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus (Honolulu) | Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science (Albuquerque) Sidney Gutierrez Middle School (Roswell) Desert Ridge Middle School (Albuquerque) |
Top 3 High Schools | Iolani School (Honolulu) Punahou School (Honolulu) Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus (Honolulu) | La Cueva High School (Albuquerque) Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science (Albuquerque) Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School (Albuquerque) |
Top 3 private high schools | Iolani School (Honolulu) Punahou School (Honolulu) Hawaii Preparatory Academy (Kamuela) | Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque) Bosque School (Albuquerque) Santa Fe Preparatory School (Santa Fe) |
Top 3 private K-12 schools | Iolani School (Honolulu) Punahou School (Honolulu) Kamehameha Schools Kapalama Campus (Honolulu) | Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque) Bosque School (Albuquerque) Sandia Preparatory School (Albuquerque) |
Top 3 School Districts | Hawaii Department of Education (Statewide) | Los Alamos Public Schools Rio Rancho Public Schools Albuquerque Public Schools |
Top Hawaii to New Mexico Movers
Read our in-depth analysis of the best Hawaii to New Mexico movers with detailed rankings, cost breakdowns, and reviews.