Hawaii Population 2023

At the 2010 census the population of Hawaii was declared at a total of 1,360,301. Estimates of the population are produced in the years between censuses - and in 2015, this number had risen to 1,431,603.

This represents a 5.2% increase from the 1.36 million recorded during the 2010 Census.

Hawaiian Islands and Populations

There are eight major islands in Hawaii. Oahu is the largest, with a population of 953,207.

Next largest is Hawaii itself, holding 186,738 people, followed closely by Maui (144,444). The only other island with a sizeable population is Kauai (pop 66,921). The remaining islands are Molokai (7,345), Lanai (3,135), Niihau (170) and Kahoolawe (unpopulated).

Honolulu is the largest city and the largest county in Hawaii, home to an estimated 350,399 of Oahu's people in the city itself. The county of Honolulu contains nearly 1 million residents, however. There are no other cities with more than 50,000 people. The next largest city is Pearl City, which is home to 47,698 people.

Hawaiian Land Area and Population Density

Based on the most recent estimates, Hawaii is the 40th largest state in the union. Although small in terms of its population, Hawaii is big in terms of one area of census statistics – population density. In total, the islands make up 10,931 square miles (28,311 square kilometers) in surface area, which makes its density 222.9 people per square mile. This ranks it 13th in the US in population density.

Hawaii Gender and Religion Statistics

The median age in Hawaii is approximately 38.5 years of age, and the state has a slight gender gap with 49.8% females and 50.2% males residing in the state.

In religious terms, Hawaii stands at 63% Christianity based faiths, 10% non-Christian based faiths, and 26% unaffiliated to any particular faith.

Hawaii Statehood, Census, and Boundary History

Hawaii was an independent nation prior to being annexed by the United States in 1898; it was made a territory in 1900. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii was admitted as a State and assumed its present boundaries, omitting certain small islands formerly included in the territory.

Census coverage has included the whole of Hawaii since 1900. The Hawaiian government conducted at least 9 censuses between 1850 and 1898.

Hawaii Population History

Although Hawaii only became a US state in 1959, there are population statistics dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. In 1900, the total number of citizens living on the islands was declared at 154,001 and just ten years later that had risen by 24.6% to 191,874.

The US census of 1960 was the first to include Hawaii in its statistics and by that point, the population had grown to 632,772, a 26.6% increase from the 1950 findings. From that stage, the numbers have continued to increase but the percentage increase decade by decade has slowed down. The 2010 figures represented a rise of 12.3% from the 2000 Census numbers.

Hawaii Population Growth

Hawaii has a healthy gap between birth and death rates and, when figures in this respect were released in 2005, they showed a net gain of 48,111 new Hawaiians in the five years from 2000. Net migration is also a contributory factor and using those figures in 2005 once again, they showed a gain of 16,956 new citizens compared to the statistics from 2000.

Hawaii Population Projections

Although the growth rate has slowed, it is projected that the population will continue to rise at a rate around 1% for the foreseeable future, with the population crossing the 1,500,000 mark by 2020 with Oahu growing at the slowest rate and the Big Island growing at the fastest.

There is a very wide range of cultures and ethnic groups within the population of Hawaii. Notably, there is a higher percentage of Asian Americans in Hawaii than in any other state. Hawaii also has the highest percentage of multiracial residents than any other state, and it has the lowest percentage of whites.

Hawaii is the only state to have Asians as its largest ethnic group, making this a majority-minority state. The Asian population is primarily Filipino, although there are also large populations of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean residents.

Approximately 75% of Hawaii's foreign-born population comes from Asia. The vast majority of residents -- over 82% -- were born in the United States. The state also a fairly large population of indigenous Hawaiians that make up almost 6% of the population.

• Hawaii is the only state to have a tropical rainforest.
• Hawaii is composed of 132 islands. It is the only state that is made up entirely of islands.
• Hawaii has its own time zone -- Hawaiian Standard Time -- and does not follow Daylight Savings Time.
• The state is home to Mauna Loa, the largest volcano on Earth. NASA astronauts prepare for moon missions on its lava fields.
• Hawaii was admitted to the Union in 1959. It was the 50th state to be admitted.
• It is one of the only two states in the US to grow coffee.
• The islands are actually projected mountain tops of the biggest mountain range in the world.
• Hawaii is made up of just four counties.
• There are no majority races in the state -- everyone is considered a minority because the population is so diverse.