Housing cost slows Hawai‘i population growth, Census says

U.S. Census Bureau on Dec. 27 released 2007 population estimates by state and revised the data from 2001 to 2006. After four years with increases of about 1 percent per year, Hawaii’s population growth has significantly slowed 0.4 percent in 2007, apparently due to out-migration from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. Here are some highlights:

• On July 1, 2006, the Hawai‘i population was 1,278,635.
• On July 1, 2007, the Hawai‘i population was 1,283,388, a gain of 4,753 or only 0.37 percent.
• The Hawai‘i population increased on average 13 persons per day. 53 people were born, 25 died, 11 moved to Hawai‘i from a foreign country and 27 moved out of Hawai‘i to another U.S. state.

Based on the Census Bureau’s estimate, Hawaii’s population in 2007 is 1,283,388 – an increase of only 4,753 persons from 2006.  This gain results from 19,265 births, 9,269 deaths, 4,112 net international in-migrants, 9,673 net domestic out-migrants and 318 persons allocated to Hawai‘i to adjust the state estimates to the national totals.

The out-migration from Hawai‘i to the U.S. mainland is the highest in recent years, with almost 10,000 more people moving from Hawaii to the mainland than from the mainland to Hawai‘i. The figures include military as well as civilians.  According to the State Data Center, one reason more civilians moved to the mainland is that the cost of housing in Hawaii remained high while it declined in many places on the mainland.

The state population was estimated using a mathematical model with input data such as births, deaths, federal tax returns, American Community Survey results and medical care records. The estimates are subject to revisions as new data becomes available.

Source:  Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, Research and Economic Analysis Division.