NEWS FOR NONPROFITS

Hawaii's 2006 American Community Survey
details who we are and how we rank nationally

The U.S. Census Bureau released the results of its American Community Survey for 2006, including data for the state of Hawai‘i, on Sept. 12. This year, the population characteristics are for the total population rather than household population only, as in the past.

The ACS survey started in 1996 and Hawaii has been included since 2000. Until 2004, Hawaii data were available only for the City and County of Honolulu. Starting in 2005, Big Island and Maui County, excluding Kalawao County (the Kalaupapa Peninsula), are included. Kauai County, population 63,004, is not included in the results because the Census Bureau doesn’t release data for areas with populations less than 65,000 due to sample size issues. The Bureau treats Kalawao as a separate county. With only 120 people in 2006, data for Kalawao are also not available.

Hawaii’s ranking in the nation – Looking at Hawaii population characteristics compared with the other states in the nation, here’s how Hawaii ranks in selecterd areas:

  • Older population: Hawaii’s population has a median age of 37.2 years, higher than the 36.4 years for the nation and ranked the 17th aged state in the nation. In terms of percentage of households with at least one person 65 years or above, Hawaii ranked second in the nation at 28.2 percent. 13.9 percent of Hawaii’s population were 65 years or above in 2006, ranked the 8th place among all the states. 2 percent of Hawaii’s population were 85 years or over in 2006, giving us a sixth-place ranking in the nation.
  • Most Asians: Hawaii ranked first in terms of percentage of Asian population. 39.9 percent of Hawaii’s population was pure Asians in 2006 versus 4.4 percent for the nation as a whole.
  • Most Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders: Hawaii also had the largest percentage of pure Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders in the nation. 8.7 percent for Hawaii versus 0.1 percent for the nation in 2006.
  • Most mixed population: Hawaii ranked first also in the percentage of mixed population at 21.5 percent compared with 2.0 percent for the nation.
  • Higher household size: The average household size of 2.88 persons made Hawaii third in the nation.
  • Higher household income: Median household income in Hawaii was $61,160, higher than the U.S. median household income of $48,451. Hawaii ranked fourth among all the states in the nation. This is because Hawaii has large households and more multiple job holders.
  • Higher cost of living: Hawaii’s median rent of $1,116 in 2006 ranked Hawaii first, highest in the nation. The U.S. median rent was $763 per month. Hawaii homeowner’s monthly housing cost of $1,959 in 2006 was the third highest in the nation.
  • Higher value of real property: Hawaii’s median housing value was $529,700 in 2006, ranked second highest in the nation, just below California’s at $535,700. The national median housing value in 2006 was $185,200.
  • Lower home ownership: Hawaii’s home ownership of 59.5 percent in 2006 was fourth lowest. Washington, D.C., had the lowest home ownership at 45.8 percent. New York State was second lowest at 55.6 percent; California was the third lowest at 58.4 percent.
  • Higher use of public transportation or car pool: Hawaii ranked first in the percentage of workers using cars, trucks or vans to car pool to work. Hawaii ranked seventh in the nation for percentage of workers travel to work by public transportation.
  • More people work in the service sector: Hawaii is second in the nation in the percentage of workers working in service occupations at 21.2 percent. Nevada was first with 24.4 percent.

Honolulu ranks 51st in nation for traffic delays

It might not seem that way at 5 p.m. on a Friday afternoon Ewa-bound on H-1 near the Vineyard Blvd. exit, but Honolulu is only the 51st most traffic-congested city in America. According to a new study, Honolulu commuters spent an average of 24 hours a year stuck in a vehicle in 2005 because of traffic delays. That's two hours more than in 2004 and 10 hours more than in 1982. The figure is in addition to the time spent commuting if there were no delays.

The Texas Transportation Institute's urban mobility report released in September said traffic delays and population density growth contributed to an increase in Honolulu fuel consumption, from 5.6 million gallons in 2004 to 6.2 million in 2005. That amounted to a cost of $434 annually to individual drivers, or $166 million for the state.

Honolulu shared the 51st-most congested ranking with El Paso, Texas, and Grand Rapids, Mich. The most congested region for traffic is the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana area of California, where commuters experienced travel delays totaling 72 hours a year.

Spokane, Wash., and Brownsville, Texas, recorded the least traffic congestion in 2005, tying for 84th in the 437 urban areas surveyed. Travelers in both cities experienced annual delays of eight hours each.