Florida vs. Hawaii living Florida vs. Hawaii living Want to find a tropical place to live with warm breezes, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and a laid back lifestyle? Florida and Hawaii are arguably the two most sought after tropical places to live. Being raised in Florida and now living in Hawaii I have lived the best of both worlds. Although similar upon first glance, Florida and Hawaii are also very different. How would you choose where to live? It all depends on what you are looking for in terms of the weather, natural disasters, geography, entertainment, and cost of living.
Each state is unique and offers something different you just have to decide which paradise is for you. Weather is often a deciding factor when choosing where you want to live. Florida is well known for being the sunshine state. While living there I was in a pair of flip flops and shorts all summer, although at times it is unbearably hot and humid with highs in the 90’s! In the winter there would be lows in the 40’s! In Hawaii, however, temperatures are consistent throughout the year ranging from the mid 70’s – 80’s. The winter in Hawaii is considered rainy season but rarely has thunderstorms, unlike Florida, where they are frequent.
Florida is referred to as the thunderstorm capitol of the US. These storms often generate tornadoes. (Henthorn, 2010, p. 5) Weather may be a deciding factor in where you choose to live, but you will also have to consider that each state has natural disasters and this can greatly influence your decision on where to live. Natural disasters are extreme sudden events caused by environmental factors that can injure people and damage property, and these affect both Florida and Hawaii. As mentioned above, tornadoes occur in Florida sometimes when there are thunderstorms but that isn’t the only cause of tornadoes.
Hurricanes bring lots of rain, and cause tornadoes to form. Each state has hurricane seasons, however, Hawaii has fewer hurricanes than Florida. The last hurricane in Hawaii was Iniki in 1992. Unlike the warm tropical waters off the coast of Florida, the water around Hawaii is cool so storms weaken or die before making it to Hawaii but some do make it. Not only does Hawaii have hurricanes, but they have earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, and volcanic activity that cause damage. Each state has different natural disasters which will influence your ecision on where to live, but so will the geography. You may find that natural disasters may not seem so bad when you are surrounded by such beautiful land. What kind of geography would influence where you want to live? Florida is low lying and flat with gently rolling hills. Florida is bordered by beautiful white sandy beaches, and that is the reason most people turn here as a place to live. In comparison, Hawaii is far from flat. There are vast mountain ranges, waterfalls, volcanoes, and also beautiful beaches. The beaches in Hawaii are much different.
Palm trees line the beach, and the sand on the beaches are not sandy white yet made up of ‘black sand’ derived from the erosion of volcanic rock, and ‘white sand’ made by marine organisms or both. Every beach is unique and has its own source and types of sediments. (Harney, 2010) The geography of Florida and Hawaii are both beautiful and exclusive making the choice of where to live tough, but will the beautiful land forms be enough to sway your decision? You might also want to consider what kind of entertainment each state has to offer before deciding which paradise is for you.
Florida and Hawaii offer various kinds of entertainment. Florida is well known for its white sandy beaches so, like Hawaii, the watersports are endless. They are also famous for Disney World in Orlando. There are various other theme parks to visit, as well as local entertainment. Bands visit for concerts; there are museums, festivals, and night life. On the plus side, if you can’t find anything to do in Florida, neighboring states are just a drive away. Hawaii, on the other hand, can only be reached by plane or boat so as far as entertainment you must find it locally.
There is a different feel about entertainment on the islands. Hawaii emphasizes their culture through entertainment offering numerous Polynesian shows and the traditional Luau. They too have night life if you visit Honolulu or Waikiki but the other islands are more rural with little night life. Unlike Florida, you won’t find many bands that come to perform because of the distance it takes to travel to the Islands. Also, if you grow bored then you are “stuck” on the island causing many people to feel like they have “island fever”.
There are a lot of sights to see in Hawaii, so if you are into exploring there is plenty to do to keep you from getting bored. Hike to a waterfall or up a mountain, zip line through the forests, go snorkeling, paddle boarding, or surfing. Hawaii is the home of surfing with all the world class surf spots of Pipeline, Sunset Beach, Waimea, and Jaws. There are big waves, and big surf. With all the outdoor activities in Hawaii the entertainment is endless. Hawaii and Florida both have fun things to do for entertainment but you will have to decide what you like and which lifestyle you can afford.
Probably the most important deciding factor in choosing to live in Hawaii or Florida would be the cost of living. Living in Hawaii in comparison to Florida is more expensive. Food is more in Hawaii because it has to be shipped over from the mainland, but there are a lot of affordable farmers markets that sell local fruits and vegetables grown on the island. Also, the cost of housing in Hawaii compared to Florida is much more expensive. Where I lived in Florida you could get a two bedroom apartment for five hundred dollars, but in Hawaii the same sized apartment would be at least a thousand dollars.
The job opportunities in Hawaii are fewer, and pay less. On another note, if you wanted to fly back to the mainland, airfare is double what you would fly in the continental US. I have experienced all of this first hand living in Hawaii. The cost of living is definitely the deciding factor when choosing to live in Florida or Hawaii so how much are you willing to pay for your own slice of paradise? Hawaii and Florida both offer warm breezes, sandy beaches, crystal clear waters, and a laid back lifestyle. Deciding on which tropical place you want to live will be the hard part. Each state is beautiful and unique.
Whether you want the white sandy beaches of Florida, or the vast mountain ranges of Hawaii each state will offer you something different. The weather, natural disasters, geography, entertainment, and cost of living are important factors to be considered when deciding on where to live. Wherever you decide, sit back and enjoy your tropical paradise! References Harney, J. N. (2010) Sand in Hawaii. Retrieved from http://hawaii. gov/dlnr/occl/manuals-reports/sand-in-hawaii Henthorn, D. (2010) Florida’s Climate and Weather. P. 5 Retrieved from (http://goflorida. about. com/od/floridaweather/ss/weather_5. htm)
