Census

December 7, 2017. The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2012-2016 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates on December 7, 2017. During the 2012-2016 period, the Census Bureau surveyed a total of 48,457 households, an average of 9,691 households per year. Over 9% of Hawaii’s population were surveyed between this 2012 to 2016 period.

The 2012-2016 ACS dataset includes new and modified tables on language spoken at home and household language for limited English speakers. Over 45 different social, demographic, economic, and housing topics are summarized in the ACS, and average figures for the 5-year time period of 2012-2016 may be obtained for the state level and down to smaller areas such as the census tract level.

Hawaii data is available on our DBEDT website at https://census.hawaii.gov/acs/acs-2016/

Selected small area rankings

The following analyses were based upon the ranking of the 316 census tracts in Hawaii which had a population. The numbers presented below are averages over the 2012-2016 time period. Tables included in these highlights display only the 20 top ranking census tracts. For the complete list and for the margin of errors, see the accompanying Excel data file.

• Median household income. Two areas had a median household income over $150,000. They were Waiawa and Waialae Iki. Five areas had a median household income between $126,000 and $149,000. All twenty of the top areas were in Honolulu County. On the island of Maui, the highest median household income was $92,500 in Waihee-Waikapu. On Kauai, the highest median household income was $81,241 in Eleele-Kalaheo. On the island of Hawaii, the highest median household income was $74,138 in Kawaihae-Waikoloa. (Table 2)
• Civilian unemployment rate. Two areas had a civilian unemployment rate over 20%– Kahauiki Street in the urban Honolulu area and Menoher Street in the Schofield Barracks area on Oahu. Six other areas had a civilian unemployment rate between 18% and 20%. They were located in the Schofield Barracks area on Oahu (Leilehua Avenue), on the island of Maui (West Central Wailuku), on the island of Hawaii (Pahoa), on the Leeward side of Oahu (Waianae Kai, Makua Valley), and in the urban Honolulu area (Mayor Wright Housing). The highest civilian unemployment rate on Kauai was in Anahola at 8.3%. (Table 3)
• Median owner-occupied housing unit values. Diamond Head was the only area in Hawaii which had a median housing value of $2 million or more. Eleven other areas had median values between $1 and $1.9 million. They were located in the East Oahu area (Waialae-Kahala, Portlock, Waialae Iki, Aina Haina-Hawaii Loa Ridge), the urban Honolulu area (Round Top-Tantalus, Judd Hillside-Lowrey Avenue, Makiki Heights), the Windward side of Oahu (Kalaheo Avenue and Lanikai), and the island of Maui (Wailea and Honokowai). Ha’ena-Hanalei had the highest median housing value on Kauai at $863,200. Hualalai had the highest median housing value on the island of Hawaii at $678,800. (Table 5)

More Hawaii topic highlights and the ranking tables referred to above are available on our DBEDT website.

Source:  U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey 2011-2016 American Community Survey 5-year dataset; compiled by the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, Research and Economic Analysis Division.