Hawaii

Hawaii by the Numbers:
Key Statistical Data and Facts

Key Details

• Hawaii is the 8th smallest state in the US, with an estimated population of 1.44 million in 2022. 
• From 2017-2021, the average median income per household was $88,005, and 25% of people over 25 had high school diplomas or equivalent degrees. 
• In 2021, 36.8% of the state's population was Asian; 25.3% were White, and 11.1% were Hispanic or Latino. 
• During the 2020 presidential election, 63% voted for Joe Biden, and 34% voted for Donald Trump. 
• The unemployment rate in Hawaii was 3.3% as of April 2023 
• In 2021, Hawaii's marriage rate was 12.8 marriages per 1,000, while the divorce rate was 7.6% for men and 11.3% for women. 

Hawaii Population Demographics

Hawaii is the 11th least populous state in the United States. According to US census estimates for 2022, Aloha State has a population of approximately 1,440,196 people. About 6% of the population was under five years, while 21.1% were less than 18 years. Residents that are older than 65 years accounted for 19.6% of the population. 

A closer inspection of the age and gender distribution of Hawaiians revealed that 5.8% of males and 5.5% of females were under five years of age. In addition, residents under 18 constituted 21.8% males and 20.4% females, while those older than 65 comprised 17.9% males and 21.4% females. About 50.3% of Hawaiians were males, and 49.7% were females.

Hawaii Housing

568,075 housing

According to 2022 US Census estimates, Hawaii had 568,075 housing units.

61.0%

From 2017 to 2021, the owner-occupied housing unit rate was 61.0%

$662,100

While the median value of owner-occupied housing units was

$574

At the same time, the median selected monthly owner costs for mortgaged homes was $2,587, while the median selected monthly owner costs for homes without mortgages was $574.

$1,755

In addition, the 5-year interval survey also estimated that the median gross rent in Hawaii was $1,755.

$1,000 to $1,499

A closer study of the rental value paid for occupied housing units revealed that most residents paid $1,000 to $1,499.

$2,000 to $2,499, $2,500 to $2,999, and over $3,000

This was followed by those who paid $1,500 to $1,999. Residents who paid $2,000 to $2,499, $2,500 to $2,999, and over $3,000 for occupied housing units accounted for 13.2%, 11.6%, and 15.4%, respectively. Residents who paid $500 to $999 comprised 10.3%, while those who spent less than $500 for rent accounted for 5.2%.

490,267

A further breakdown of occupancy characteristics of Hawaii housing units showed that there were 490,267 occupied housing units compared to 70,799 vacant housing units.

52.4%

Furthermore, a sizable proportion of occupied housing units were made up of one-unit detached housing units (52.4%), while the least proportion comprised mobile homes (0.2%) and boats/RV/Vans (0.1%).

Hawaii Racial Demographics

Note: White Americans include residents who indicate white as their race in their response to the census questionnaires. This includes people of European, Middle East, and North African descent.

Elections in Hawaii

Historically, Hawaiians tend to vote for Democratic candidates as governors. Between 1960 and 2020, residents have only voted for Republicans twice in the nine gubernatorial elections that have taken place in the state. The last Republican governor in the state was Linda Lingle in 2002, who won two terms in office. 

As of 2023, Hawaii has a Democratic trifecta. The Party controls the governor's office and both state legislative chambers. In May 2023, the Democrats controlled the Hawaii State Senate by a majority of 23-2. 

On December 5, 2022, Josh Green, a Democrat, assumed the position of governor in the state. The term limit for the governor of Hawaii is two four-year terms. The inauguration occurs on the first Monday of December after a gubernatorial election. There is no limit on the number of times a governor may be elected during their lifespan. Nonetheless, a governor elected to two consecutive terms must wait for at least one election cycle before becoming eligible for re-election.  

2020 Presidential Election 

During the 2020 Presidential election exercise, Joe Biden won Hawaii with 63.7%, while Donald Trump had 34.3% of the votes. This translated to 366,130 votes for Biden and 196,864 votes for Trump.  

Joe Biden

Donald Trump

Hawaii has been won by the Democratic Party in every presidential election since 1960, except for 1972 and 1984, when Nixon and Ronald Reagan both won in sweeping national Republican victories.

Hawaii Voting Statistics

According to the State of Hawaii Office of Elections, the overall voter turnout during the 2022 general elections was 340,159, representing 39.8% of the voting-age population. Residents that voted by mail using USPS or Places of Deposits comprised 97.3% (330,837 votes). In contrast, 2.7% (9,322 votes) of the active voters opted for in-person voting.  

General Election

How Educated is Hawaii

The 2021 US Census estimates state that 26.3% of residents over 25 had a high school diploma or equivalent degree. Residents who had some college experience but no degree constituted 20.2%. Other educational groups comprised 11.0% with associate’s degrees and 22.2% with bachelor’s degrees. Hawaiians with graduate or professional degrees accounted for 13.1%.  

As of 2021, Hawaii had a school enrollment rate of 65.7%, 2.5% lower than the national enrollment figure. An examination of educational attainment by racial groups indicated that Whites with bachelor's degrees or higher accounted for 48.7% of the population, while Blacks accounted for 39.6%. Asians and American Indians or Alaska Natives with a bachelor's degree or more made up 24.5% and 36.8% of the population, respectively.  

Hispanic or Latino residents with a bachelor's degree or above comprised 26.0% of the population, while Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders with the same educational qualification made up 10.0%. 

Hawaii Employment Rate

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in Hawaii was 3.3% as of April 2023. At the same time, Aloha State had a civilian labor force of 678,900 workers, comprising 654,400 employed workers and 22,500 unemployed workers. 

A breakdown of the class of workers in the state showed that 22.7% of its workforce was employed by local, state, and federal government agencies. Further analysis of the class of workers indicated that 56.8% were employees of private companies. Other workers include private, not-for-profit wage and salary workers (9.4%) and self-employed workers with their own incorporated businesses (4.1%).

An analysis of industries where residents over 16 years worked showed that 24.5% were engaged in education services, healthcare, and social assistance. The arts, entertainment, and recreation sector accounted for 13.7%, while retail trade comprised 10.7% of the civil workforce. Other major employment industries include construction, public administration, and transportation, with 7.7%, 8.2%, and 6.4%, respectively.

Average Income in Hawaii

From 2017 to 2021, the median household income of Hawaii residents was $88,005, according to US Census estimates. At the same time, the per capita income in the previous 12 months was $39,045. At the same time, the median household income for families with one, two, and three earners was $75,797, $88,181, and $100,532, respectively. 

A closer examination of residents' income groups showed that 18.2% of households earned $100,000 to $149,999, while 15.8% earned $50,000 to $74,999. Also, homes that earned more than $200,000 per annum constituted 13.3%, while 5.4% earned less than $10,000. 

The median income for families, married-couple families, and nonfamily households were $100,890, $113,919, and $49,452, respectively. 

Families in Hawaii

Hawaii Marriage Rates

When racial groups' marriages in Hawaii were examined, it was shown that 53.0% of Whites were married and not separated, compared to 50.2% of Blacks and 54.8% of Asians. 

Other racial groupings in this category  (married, not separated) include 42.2% of American Indians and Alaska Natives and 42.5% of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders.

Hawaii Divorce Rates

According to 2021 US Census figures, divorced Hawaiians constituted 7.6% of men and 11.3% of females. At the same time, 0.7% of men were separated compared to 1.1% of women of the same status.  

A closer study of the divorce rate by a racial group of residents indicated that 13.2% of whites, 7.7% of Blacks or African Americans, and 11.8% of American Indians and Alaska Natives were divorced. Divorced Asian inhabitants made up 7.7% of the population, compared to 8.5% of Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. 

Life Expectancy in Hawaii

Vital records from the National Center for Health Statistics indicate that the average Hawaiian resident had a life expectancy of 80.7 years in 2020.  

Other vital statistics in the state revealed the fertility rate of women aged 15-44 was 59.2 births per 1,000. In addition, the rate of teen births was 12.3 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19, while the infant mortality rate was 4.9 infant deaths per 1,000 live births. 

Simultaneously, the cesarean delivery rate was 27.7 per 1,000 births, and the preterm birth rate was 10.22 per 1,000 live births.

Hawaii Crime Rates

According to the National Incident Reporting System (NIBRS), 2,306 violent crime incidents out of 2,466 offenses were reported by Hawaii law enforcement agencies in 2021. 

A breakdown of the violent crime victim demographics by location showed that 853 incidents happened on highways/alleys/streets/sidewalks, while 705 incidents were recorded at residential premises. 193 violent crimes happened in parking lots, and 146 incidents occurred at parks and playgrounds. The location of 66 crime incidents was reported as unknown in 2021. 

Further analysis of the type of weapons used in these crimes showed that personal weapons were used in 929 incidents, while knives and cutting instruments were adopted in 439 cases. Other weapon types include blunt objects and handguns, which were weapons of choice in 309 and 183 crime incidents, respectively.  

Hawaii Incarceration Rate

3,090 inmates

According to the Hawaii Department of Public Safety- Corrections Division, the state correctional facilities housed 3,090 inmates in 2023.

2,491 inmates

The data further showed that although the state’s eight correctional facilities had a design capacity of 2,491 inmates, the operational capacity, as of May 2023, stood at 3,527 inmates.

The Department operates Hawaii's jails, including Hawaii Community Correctional Center (HCCC), Kauai Community Correctional Center (KCCC), Maui Community Correctional Center (MCCC), and Oahu Community Correctional Center (OCCC).

The Halawa Correctional Facility (HCF), Waiawa Correctional Facility (WCF), Kulani Correctional Facility (KCF), and Women's Community Correctional Center (WCCC) are the state's prisons.  Three of the jails are on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.  Kulani Correctional Facility is located on Hawaii's Big Island.

Hawaii Bankruptcy Rate

2022

1,187 bankruptcy cases

As of March 2022, the total number of bankruptcy filings in Hawaii was 231. This comprised 151 (65%) Chapter 7 filings and 78 (34%) Chapter 13 filings. Compared to the annual bankruptcy filing in Hawaii for 2021 (1,187 cases), the total bankruptcy filings for 2022 (231 cases) represent a 27% decrease in total bankruptcy filed, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute.

Weird Laws in Hawaii