Remote islands for families with kids
A family-first read of Remote islands: where schools are, whether there is a hospital on-island, typical rent bands, and how islands differ for daily life with children. U.S. passport shown below — use compare to filter UK or EU.
How to use this page
- Scan the island cards for the biggest family tradeoffs.
- Check schools by island — confirm tuition and ages with each school.
- Use the comparison table for side-by-side healthcare, rent, and transport.
- Open individual island profiles for sourced detail and map switching.
- Or use the family shortlist wizard to rank islands by your kids' ages and budget.
Which island fits your family?
Plain-language summaries — not rankings. Your budget, school needs, and tolerance for ferry-only access will drive the answer.
- Tristan da Cunha
1 school(s) documented; hospital on island.
- 1 school
- Hospital: full hospital on island
- Rent band: Not applicable for purchase — no private property market; expatriate housing provided with fixed-term contracts
- Pitcairn Island
1 school(s) documented; hospital on island.
- 1 school
- Hospital: full hospital on island
- Rent band: No rental market for outsiders — settlement limited to approved settlers; NZ-dollar economy
- Saint Helena
2 school(s) documented; hospital on island.
- 2 schools
- Hospital: full hospital on island
- Rent band: £400–£800/mo (2BR Jamestown area; limited stock)
Where islands differ most
- Residency (US passport)
- Schools (K–12)
- Evacuation notes
- Rent band (monthly, USD)
- Groceries vs mainland US
- Island cost premium
- Hurricane / cyclone exposure
- Language(s)
- Car necessity
- Top income tax rate
- Income tax bands
- Ferry links
Schools by island
- Tristan da Cunha
St Mary's School
British, Cambridge IGCSE · ages 3–16
School website
- Pitcairn Island
Pulau School
New Zealand · ages 5–15 (compulsory; secondary via NZ correspondence or relocation)
School website
- Saint Helena
St Helena Secondary School
British, GCSE/A-Level · ages 11–18
School websitePilling Primary School
British · ages 4–11
School website
Family comparison table
Swipe or scroll sideways to compare islands
| Field | Tristan da Cunha | Pitcairn Island | Saint Helena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residency | |||
| Residency (US passport)differs | No general open immigration: No general immigration route. Relocation only via rare fixed-term expatriate contracts (doctor, teacher, conservationist) or existing family connection to the island. Visitors require Island Council approval and travel by SA Agulhas II from Cape Town. · verified 2026-06-11 | No general open immigration: No routine immigration programme. Settlement requires approval by the Pitcairn Island Council under strict criteria; most residents are descendants of the Bounty community. Visitors arrive on approved supply/tourism vessels only. · verified 2026-06-11 | No general open immigration: No automatic right to settle. Work permits and settlement require employer sponsorship or family ties on island. Saint Helena Airport enables weekly links to Johannesburg — still one of the world's most remote inhabited islands. · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Education | |||
| Schools (K–12)differs | St Mary's School verified 2026-06-11 | Pulau School verified 2026-06-11 | St Helena Secondary School; Pilling Primary School verified 2026-06-11 |
| Early years (preschool / nursery) | None documented on island | None documented on island | None documented on island |
| Higher education | None documented on island | None documented on island | None documented on island |
| Healthcare | |||
| Hospital on island | Yes — full hospital on island Tristan da Cunha Government — Camogie Hospital (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Yes — full hospital on island Government of the Pitcairn Islands — Pitcairn Island Health Centre (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Yes — full hospital on island St Helena Government — Health Directorate (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Evacuation notesdiffers | Camogie Hospital provides basic on-island care; complex cases evacuated by SA Agulhas II or medevac to Cape Town (~2,800 km). Expat contracts typically include medical cover and evacuation. | Health centre staffed by rotating UK-contracted doctor and local nurse. Complex care evacuated by sea to Mangareva (French Polynesia), then air to Tahiti or New Zealand. Pacific Public Health — Pitcairn COVID-19 preparedness (2024) (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Saint Helena General Hospital (Jamestown) — territory hospital. Complex cases may transfer to Cape Town or UK; air ambulance available since 2017 airport opening. UK FCDO — Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Cost of living | |||
| Rent band (monthly, USD)differs | Not applicable for purchase — no private property market; expatriate housing provided with fixed-term contracts Tristan da Cunha Government — living and working (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | No rental market for outsiders — settlement limited to approved settlers; NZ-dollar economy Government of the Pitcairn Islands (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | £400–£800/mo (2BR Jamestown area; limited stock) St Helena Government — housing context (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Groceries vs mainland USdiffers | Very high — freight by sea from Cape Town; limited shop stock on island Tristan da Cunha Government — living and working (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Very high — quarterly supply ship; general store in Adamstown; honey and crafts are local income sources UN C-24 working paper — Pitcairn economy (2024) (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Above UK average — freight by sea and air; subsidised essentials via SHG St Helena Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Island cost premiumdiffers | Extreme remoteness premium — ~2,000 km from nearest inhabited land (St Helena); ship-only regular access Tristan da Cunha Government — organising a visit (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Among the world's most isolated communities — ~2,170 km from Tahiti; access by quarterly vessel only Government of the Pitcairn Islands (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | High remoteness premium (~1,950 km from Africa) offset by weekly air link since 2017 St Helena Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Climate & risk | |||
| Hurricane / cyclone exposurediffers | South Atlantic storms and gales; not a tropical hurricane zone but severe winter weather UK FCDO — Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Tropical cyclone exposure in South Pacific; remote evacuation if severe weather damages landing facilities UK FCDO — Pitcairn Island travel advice (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Low tropical cyclone risk in South Atlantic; occasional storms and rockfall in Jamestown valley UK FCDO — Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Daily life | |||
| Language(s)differs | English | English and Pitkern (English–Tahitian creole) UN General Assembly working paper on Pitcairn (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | English St Helena Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Car necessitydiffers | Low — single village; 4×4 useful on volcanic tracks Tristan da Cunha Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Low — walking settlement on steep volcanic terrain; quad bikes used locally Government of the Pitcairn Islands (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Recommended — steep roads between districts; limited public transport St Helena Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Taxes | |||
| Top income tax ratediffers | 25% top marginal (aligned with St Helena framework) Tristan da Cunha Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Varies by territory (10–25% typical on BOT islands) UK Government — British Overseas Territories (tax overview) (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | 25% top marginal Saint Helena Government — taxation (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Income tax bandsdiffers | Tristan da Cunha follows a low progressive schedule under UK overseas territory practice. Most working residents pay at lower bands; top rate ~25%. No VAT; limited local revenue base. Tristan da Cunha Government (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | British Overseas Territory islands each set local income tax. Saint Helena: progressive bands to ~25% top. Tristan da Cunha and Pitcairn: low-rate schedules linked to SHG/UK practice. See island profile for territory-specific bands. UK Government — British Overseas Territories (tax overview) (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 | Saint Helena Income Tax Ordinance (progressive): Allowances and lower slices at 0% and 15%. 20% on middle band. 25% on highest incomes. Verify SHG Revenue for current allowance amounts. Saint Helena Government — taxation (opens in new tab) · verified 2026-06-11 |
| Transport | |||
| Ferry linksdiffers | No ferry links documented | No ferry links documented | No ferry required — has airport |
School tuition and healthcare access change. Verify with schools and providers directly. Methodology · Disclaimer