01 · the cities
Honolulu
Honolulu is Waikiki's high-rises pressed against turquoise water, Diamond Head crater glowing pink at dawn, and plate lunches that mix Hawaiian, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Portuguese into one perfect styrofoam container. Surf the south shore in summer, the north in winter. The North Shore is a 45-minute drive into a totally different world. Aloha here is a way of moving through the day.
full dispatch→Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is a three-mile boardwalk, a giant Neptune statue keeping watch, and Atlantic surf that's warm in August and gentle in September. The military presence (Navy and Air Force) gives the city a structured, welcoming feel. False Cape and Back Bay nature areas are wild marshland just south of the high-rises. October on the boardwalk might be the prettiest month on the East Coast.
full dispatch→02 · the money
Median rent
Median rent
$2,843/mo
$1,819/mo
$1,024/mo less than Honolulu (56%)
Median home price
Median home price
$1.1M
$375k
$686k less than Honolulu
State income tax
State income tax
11.0%
5.8%
Gross left after rent
Gross left after rent
$4,574/mo
$6,035/mo
Virginia Beach has $1,461/mo more gross after rent at $100k
Gross left after rent reflects state income tax but not federal, based on $100k salary. Enter your salary to find your ideal city.
03 · the weather
Pleasant days/yr
Pleasant days/yr
316 days
211 days
105 fewer than Honolulu
Extreme heat days
Extreme heat days
0 days
1 days
days above 95°F per year
Extreme cold days
Extreme cold days
0 days
2 days
days below 20°F per year
Honolulu edges ahead on pleasant days, but both cities have comparable comfort overall.
04 · the life
OutdoorScore
OutdoorScore
55 / 100
57 / 100
2.0 pts ahead of Honolulu
Nonstop flights
Nonstop flights
51 routes
17 routes
34 fewer direct routes than Honolulu
Metro size
Metro size
989k metro
1.8M metro
Honolulu has 3.2x more events per month than Virginia Beach.
the verdict
2
Honolulu
categories won
5
Virginia Beach
categories won
Virginia Beach wins on money. Honolulu has the edge on weather.
run your numbers
How far does your Honolulu salary go?
Enter your salary to see a full ranked list of cities where you would live better.
see your top citiesWe use a proprietary blend of data from the US Census, Zillow, Ticketmaster, and more.
Walk Score® is a trademark of Walk Score, a Redfin company. How Walk Score works