Research & Economic Analysis

Per capita real GDP in Hawaii was $49,479 in 2015 in 2009 chained dollars, $365 or 0.7% lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 21st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

Per capita personal income in Hawaii was $48,288 in 2015, $176 or 0.4% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 21st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

Per capita personal consumption expenditure in Hawaii was $42,778 in 2015, $4,582 or 12.0% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 11th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) measures the goods and services purchased by or on behalf of households and the net expenditures of nonprofit institutions serving households. PCE by state reflects spending on activities that are attributable to the residents of a state, even when those activities take place outside of the state. Per capita PCE by state reflects average PCE per person in a state. (source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/pce/pce_newsrelease.htm)

Regional price level of Hawaii was 16.8 percent higher than the national average in 2014. Hawaii ranked 2nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Regional Price Parities (RPPs) measure the differences in the price levels of goods and services across states and metropolitan areas for a given year. RPPs are expressed as a percentage of the overall national price level for each year, which is equal to 100. (source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/rpp/rpp_newsrelease.htm)

Average annual wages for total covered employees in Hawaii was $46,919 in 2015, $6,023 or 11.4% lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 25th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Under most State laws or regulations, wages include bonuses, stock options, severance pay, the cash value of meals and lodging, tips and other gratuities, and—in some States—employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans, such as 401(k) plans. (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

*Total covered employees include workers covered by State Unemployment Insurance (UI) laws and the Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE). (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Average annual wages for employees in Hawaii private sector was $44,393 in 2015, $8,483 or 16.0% lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 35th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Under most State laws or regulations, wages include bonuses, stock options, severance pay, the cash value of meals and lodging, tips and other gratuities, and—in some States—employer contributions to certain deferred compensation plans, such as 401(k) plans (source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages)

Annual average unemployment rate in Hawaii was 3.6% in 2015, 1.7% point lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 6th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the lowest had the rank of 1.

Women’s share in civilian labor force was 47.6% in Hawaii during 2015, 0.2% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 27th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

State and local tax burden as a percentage of state income was 10.2% in Hawaii in fiscal year 2012, 0.3% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 36th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the lowest had the rank of 1.

Total number of patents originated from Hawaii was 166 in 2015. It was 11.6 patents per 100,000 population, 36.9 point lower than the U.S. average. In terms of patents per 100,000 population, Hawaii ranked 45th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*The origin of a patent is determined by the residence of the first-named inventor. (source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office)

The percentage of the population reporting two or more races in Hawaii was 24.5% in 2015, 21.4% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 1st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

Old age dependency ratio in Hawaii was 26.9 in 2015, 3.0 point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 9th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Old age dependency ratio is calculated as a ratio of “population aged 65 and over” divided by “population aged between 18 and 64”.

Homeownership rate in Hawaii was 56.6% in 2015, 6.4% point lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 47th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The percentage of family households among all households in Hawaii was 69.4% in 2015, 3.8% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 2nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The percentage of multigenerational family households among all family households in Hawaii was 11.3% in 2015, 5.4% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 1st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Multigenerational family households are family households consisting of three or more generations.

Average number of people in a household in Hawaii was 3.11 in 2015, 0.46 point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 2nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The median household income in Hawaii in 2015 was $73,486, $17,711 or 31.8% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 3rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The median family income in Hawaii in 2015 was $83,823, $15,563 or 22.8% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 8th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The percentage of people living in poverty in Hawaii in 2015 was 10.6%, 4.1% point lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 7th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the lowest had the rank of 1.

*Definition of Poverty (source: U.S. Census Bureau, http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/methods/definitions.html) – Following the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty. If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty. The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U). The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps).

The median selected monthly owner cost for the owner-occupied units with mortgage in Hawaii in 2015 was $2,248, $771 or 52.2% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 3rd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Definition of Owner Cost (source: U.S. Census Bureau, Documentation for American Community Survey) – Selected monthly owner costs are the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payments for the first mortgage, second mortgages, home equity loans, and other junior mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fee for condominiums and mobile home costs.

The median selected monthly owner cost for the owner-occupied units without mortgage in Hawaii in 2015 was $490, $22 or 4.7% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 16th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Definition of Owner Cost (source: U.S. Census Bureau, Documentation for American Community Survey) – Selected monthly owner costs are the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payments for the first mortgage, second mortgages, home equity loans, and other junior mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fee for condominiums and mobile home costs.

The median monthly gross rent for the renter-occupied units (excluding units not paying rent) in Hawaii in 2015 was $1,500, $541 or 56.4% higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 1st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Definition of Gross Rent (source: U.S. Census Bureau, Documentation for American Community Survey) – Gross rent is the contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.) if these are paid by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else).

Of owner occupied units with mortgage in Hawaii, 30.9% spent 35% or more of their household income as owner cost in 2015, 8.6% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 1st among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Definition of Owner Cost (source: U.S. Census Bureau, Documentation for American Community Survey) – Selected monthly owner costs are the sum of payments for mortgages, deeds of trust, contracts to purchase, or similar debts on the property (including payments for the first mortgage, second mortgages, home equity loans, and other junior mortgages); real estate taxes; fire, hazard, and flood insurance on the property; utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer); and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.). It also includes, where appropriate, the monthly condominium fee for condominiums and mobile home costs.

Of renter occupied units paying rent in Hawaii, 47.1% spent 35% or more of their household income on gross rent in 2015, 5.7% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 2nd among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

*Definition of Gross Rent (source: U.S. Census Bureau, Documentation for American Community Survey) – Gross rent is the contract rent plus the estimated average monthly cost of utilities (electricity, gas, and water and sewer) and fuels (oil, coal, kerosene, wood, etc.) if these are paid by the renter (or paid for the renter by someone else).

The percentage of civilian population with health insurance coverage in Hawaii was 96.0% in 2015, 5.4% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 4th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The percentage of civilian population with private health insurance in Hawaii was 76.5% in 2015, 9.0% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 4th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

The percentage of population under 18 years old with no health insurance in Hawaii was 1.6% in 2015, 3.2% point lower than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 4th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the lowest had the rank of 1.

The percentage of population aged 25 and over in Hawaii with Bachelor’s degree or higher was 31.4% in 2015, 0.8% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 19th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

Of population aged 5 and over in Hawaii, 26.1% spoke a language other than English at home in 2015, 4.6% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 9th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.

Of population aged 5 and over in Hawaii, 12.4% spoke English less than ‘Very Well’ in 2015, 3.8% point higher than the U.S. average. Hawaii ranked 4th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia where the highest had the rank of 1.