Low incomes and large household sizes have posed problems. Though many migrants have achieved success, social problems , with domestic violence and family breakdown have sometimes occurred away from kin support and the subsistence safety net of rural areas. Crime has worsened, creating a new security industry, raising the costs of business development and straining the judicial system. Socio-economic inequalities have grown. Health and nutrition are sometimes poor in town where low incomes, poor access to gardens and the rise of a junk food industry exist.
Housing is costly, low-cost housing scarce and rents are high.
Urban land is increasingly scarce , whether for housing, industrial development, recreation or open space. Land tenure issues complicate urban management and planning as customary land remains in or close to most towns. Land use plans are therefore difficult to construct whilst town planning remains in its infancy. Population densities are very high in some towns, especially in Micronesia, whilst lack of land has made waste disposal a problem. There is little recycling and a scarcity of landfill sites, especially in atoll environments.