Editing Hawaii (section)

===Cost of living===
The cost of living in Hawaii, specifically Honolulu, is high compared to that of most major U.S. cities, although it is 6.7% lower than in New York City and 3.6% lower than in San Francisco.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://salary.nytimes.com/costoflivingwizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp |title=Cost of Living Wizard |work=The New York Times |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080914100326/http://salary.nytimes.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp |archive-date=September 14, 2008 }}</ref> These numbers may not take into account some costs, such as increased travel costs for flights, additional shipping fees, and the loss of promotional participation opportunities for customers outside the contiguous U.S. While some online stores offer free shipping on orders to Hawaii, many merchants exclude Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and certain other U.S. territories.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202052360|title=Amazon.com Help: About Shipping to Alaska, Hawaii, & Puerto Rico Addresses|website=www.amazon.com|access-date=June 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181214002438/https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202052360|archive-date=December 14, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aimforawesome.com/moving-to-hawaii/no-free-shipping-to-hawaii/|title=(No) free shipping to Hawaii—Living in Hawaii—Moving to Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island|website=www.aimforawesome.com|access-date=June 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618102423/https://www.aimforawesome.com/moving-to-hawaii/no-free-shipping-to-hawaii/|archive-date=June 18, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Hawaii electricity production by type.webp|thumb|Hawaii electricity production by type]]
[[File:Electricity prices by metro area.webp|thumb|Electricity prices by metro area]]
[[Hawaiian Electric Industries]], a privately owned company, provides 95% of the state's population with electricity, mostly from fossil-fuel power stations. Average electricity prices in October 2014 ({{convert|36.41|¢/kWh|¢/kWh|abbr=off|disp=out}}) were nearly three times the national average ({{convert|12.58|¢/kWh|¢/kWh|abbr=off|disp=out}}) and 80% higher than the second-highest state, Connecticut.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Chesto|first1=Jon|title=House bill aims to address state's power shortfall|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/01/29/house-bill-aims-address-state-power-shortfall/wrlx8fjkjzLF85wDhsf6KJ/story.html|issue=February 8, 2015|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=January 29, 2015|access-date=June 21, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629053521/http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2015/01/29/house-bill-aims-address-state-power-shortfall/wrlx8fjkjzLF85wDhsf6KJ/story.html|archive-date=June 29, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Median housing prices by State.webp|thumb|Median housing prices by State]]
The median home value in Hawaii in the 2000 U.S. Census was {{US$|272,700}}, while the national median home value was {{US$|119,600}}. Hawaii home values were the highest of all states, including California with a median home value of {{US$|211,500}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/values.html |title=Historic Housing Values |website=www.census.gov |access-date=December 9, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171029205137/https://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/census/historic/values.html |archive-date=October 29, 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Research from the [[National Association of Realtors]] places the 2010 median sale price of a single family home in Honolulu, Hawaii, at {{US$|607,600}} and the U.S. median sales price at {{US$|173,200}}. The sale price of single family homes in Hawaii was the highest of any U.S. city in 2010, just above that of the Silicon Valley area of California ({{US$|602,000}}).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice |title=Metropolitan Median Prices |publisher=Realtor.org |date=February 15, 2005 |access-date=November 5, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103194245/http://www.realtor.org/research/research/metroprice |archive-date=November 3, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Hawaii's very high [[cost of living]] is the result of several interwoven factors of the global economy in addition to domestic U.S. government trade policy. Like other regions with desirable weather year-round, such as California, [[Arizona]] and Florida, Hawaii's residents can be considered to be subject to a "[[sunshine tax]]". This situation is further exacerbated by the natural factors of geography and world distribution that lead to higher prices for goods due to increased shipping costs, a problem which many [[island country|island states and territories]] suffer from as well.

The higher costs to ship goods across an ocean may be further increased by the requirements of the [[Merchant Marine Act of 1920|Jones Act]], which generally requires that goods be transported between places within the U.S., including between the mainland U.S. west coast and Hawaii, using only U.S.-owned, built, and crewed ships. Jones Act-compliant vessels are often more expensive to build and operate than foreign equivalents, which can drive up shipping costs. While the Jones Act does not affect transportation of goods to Hawaii directly from Asia, this type of trade is nonetheless not common; this is a result of other primarily economic reasons including additional costs associated with stopping over in Hawaii (e.g. pilot and port fees), the market size of Hawaii, and the economics of using ever-larger ships that cannot be handled in Hawaii for transoceanic voyages. Therefore, Hawaii relies on receiving most inbound goods on Jones Act-qualified vessels originating from the U.S. west coast, which may contribute to the increased cost of some consumer goods and therefore the overall cost of living.<ref name="Keeping up with the Jones Act">{{cite web |url=http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/August-2012/The-pros-and-cons-of-the-Jones-Act/ |title=Keeping up with the Jones Act |date=August 2012 |website=[[Hawaii Business]] |publisher=PacificBasin Communications |location=Honolulu, HI |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823083544/http://www.hawaiibusiness.com/Hawaii-Business/August-2012/The-pros-and-cons-of-the-Jones-Act/ |archive-date=August 23, 2012 |url-status=live|access-date=March 14, 2014}}</ref><ref name="U.S. Law Restricting Foreign Ships Leads to Higher Gas Prices">{{cite web|url=http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/10736/Jones-Act-Does-Not-Bar-International-Trade-From-Hawaii.aspx|title=Jones Act Does Not Bar International Trade From Hawaii|last=Hansen|first=Michael|date=October 3, 2013|publisher=Hawaiʻi Free Press|location=Honolulu, HI |access-date=July 28, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728040004/http://www.hawaiifreepress.com/ArticlesMain/tabid/56/ID/10736/Jones-Act-Does-Not-Bar-International-Trade-From-Hawaii.aspx|archive-date=July 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Critics of the Jones Act contend that Hawaii consumers ultimately bear the expense of transporting goods imposed by the Jones Act.<ref name="Star-Bulletin on Jones Act">{{cite news |url=http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/04/08/business/story3.html |title=U.S.-only shipping rule praised, blasted; Backers and foes of the Jones Act make their case before the Legislature |first=Russ |last=Lynch |newspaper=[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]] |date=April 4, 1997 |location=Honolulu, HI |publisher=[[Black Press|Black Press Group Ltd]] |issn=0439-5271 |id={{OCLC|9188300|433678262|232117605|2268098}} |access-date=May 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121013185712/http://archives.starbulletin.com/97/04/08/business/story3.html |archive-date=October 13, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>