In Hawaii, the median price for a home is nearly $550,000, according to real estate website Zillow, and the median rent is $2,400. That's nearly twice the national median home price of $278,900 and about one-and-a-half times the national median rent of $1,695.
And in Honolulu, housing prices go even higher: It can cost more than $625,000 to buy a typical home.
Still, while residents must contend with expensive real estate prices, as well as the second-highest tax burden in the country, Hawaiians say their No. 1 source of financial stress is something else: debt.
That's according to financial site GOBankingRates, which conducted a survey of more than 2,000 people from every state and Washington D.C., "to pinpoint what's causing the worst financial fears and stress among Americans."
Respondents could choose "debt," "education," including things like college expenses, "everyday costs," including groceries and utilities, "family," including child care and divorce, "health care," "housing," or "taxes."
Hawaiians chose debt.
"Nearly 67 percent of survey takers from Hawaii said debt is their No. 1 cause of financial stress — and it's also the state with the most average debt per person," says GOBankingRates. In a separate survey, the site found that the average debt per person in Hawaii is a whopping $869,250. That's almost 14 times the overall U.S. average of $63,000.
But while being in the red is a major concern for many Americans, and for millennials in particular, the No. 1 cause of financial stress in the country overall isn't debt; it's the everyday costs of living, according to the survey.
About a third of all respondents chose everyday costs as their top financial stressor, including those in notoriously pricey states like New York and California. Nearly 30 percent chose debt, followed by 13 percent who chose housing, 9 percent who chose health care, 7 percent who chose education, 6 percent who chose family and only 4 percent who chose taxes.
Of course, housing prices and the cost of living can vary widely based on where you live. But no matter where you fall on the map, living within your means and employing common-sense budgeting tactics can help you save in the long run. Here are some tips to help you get started.
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