Residents now have the opportunity to share their thoughts about living in Hawaiʻi through the 2026 Quality of Life survey.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the state Office of Wellness and Resilience launched the first edition in 2024, which received over 8,000 responses. Researchers said common areas of concern included mental health and the cost of living.
Tia Roberts Hartsock, director of the Office of Wellness and Resilience, hopes this year’s version will reach a wider range of ages, locations, and ethnicities.
“We want people on all islands and in every community to take the survey, including workers in the public and private sector, university students, service providers, and decision makers. More participation in the survey means more data,” Hartsock said.
“Soon, we’ll be able to see this year's dashboard, and the insights we learned from it, to support communities, organizations and policy leaders in making more informed, more data-driven decisions that benefit all of us in our own communities and statewide.”
The data is entered into a dashboard where it can be narrowed down by topics, including work conditions, sense of community, and general stress. The results are shared with policymakers to shape future legislation on county and state levels, and to guide future financial and budgetary decisions.
Jack Barile, the principal investigator and an associate dean for research at UH Mānoa, said the survey not only highlights improvement areas across the state, but also gives residents a chance to share their own solutions.
“We can take that information and craft better legislation, better services, and better communities for everyone,” Barile said.
Multiple choice and short answer questions range from cost of living to mental health to transportation. Although the survey is anonymous, there are some demographic questions to allow researchers to determine if certain issues are impacting some groups more than others.
The survey is now open and is available to all Hawaiʻi residents who are at least 18 years old.
