Hawaii County, Hawaii Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Hawaii County is located in Hawaii with a total population of 205,769. It is the 2nd most populous county out of 5 in Hawaii. The county encompasses 54 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Hawaii County is 44.3 years. This is 8% higher than the state median of 40.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Hawaii County is $78,639. This is 22% lower than the state median of $100,389. It is also 3% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 14.9%. This is 49% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.0%. The unemployment rate is 6.0%. This is 22% higher than the state rate of 4.9%. The median home value is $519,300. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $839,100. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.6x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 74.0% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 17% higher than the state average of 63.0%.

Race & Ethnicity

Hawaii County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 20.2%. The Black or African American population (0.8%) is well below the state average of 1.8%.

Education

31.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 13% lower than the state rate of 36.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 93.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Hawaii County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Hawaii and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.