Most isle workers Two-thirds of Hawaii's workers over the age of 16 -- about 370,692 out of 555,060 people -- drove to work alone last year.
drive solo
The figures, from a survey
taken last year, are among the
latest census data releasedBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comWhile these solo commuters can be attributed as a cause of Oahu's rush-hour traffic woes, Hawaii actually has among the lowest percentage of them nationwide, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Hawaii data, which come from a nationwide supplementary survey taken last year that will eventually replace the long-form data in the census, offer the most current profile of the state's social, economic, housing and demographic characteristics until official Census 2000 results are released next June.
"It gives a sneak preview," said Jerry Wong, assigned to Hawaii from the bureau's Los Angeles regional office.
Wong said the survey results, released yesterday, are fairly accurate estimates of what will likely be found in the Census 2000 data.
"I think it helps a lot to have the annual data," said state economist Pearl Imada Iboshi.
"By the time it comes out every 10 years, things have changed so much," she said.
The survey shows, for example, of the 457,818 Hawaii males over age 15 last year, 32.6 percent never married, compared with 24.7 percent of the women in Hawaii.
Moreover, the survey notes there were 44,301 women who were widowed last year, compared with only 9,683 men, which indicates Hawaii wives tend to outlive their husbands.
As for families, there were 386,624 Hawaii households, with the average household size at 3.04 people. Families make up 72 percent of these households.
The estimates do not include those living in institutions, college dormitories and other group quarters.
The survey, which covered 700,000 households nationwide, listed the median monthly mortgage for Hawaii homeowners at $1,863.
It showed 28,875 of the estimated 172,200 homeowners have a mortgage between $1,500 and $1,999, while an additional 21,333 owners pay a mortgage bill between $2,000 and $2,499.
Another 10,858 people had mortgages of more than $3,000 or more. Homeowners without any mortgage paid about $274 a month.
The median household income was $51,046.
Jan Nakamoto, director of the Hawaii State Data Center, said there still needs to be much discussion by state officials on how this new annual data will be used.
For now, she said, it remains very useful to have.
"For many of the things, this is the only data we have right now, other than 10 years ago," she said.
Elsewhere, the survey showed 17,682 Hawaii women between the ages of 15 and 50 gave birth in the past 12 months. Of that number, 5,137, or 29.1 percent, were widowed, divorced or never married.
About 68 percent of the people in Hawaii last year were born here, while 17 percent were foreign-born.
Education was another factor measured. It showed 87 percent of those 25 years and older had graduated from high school, and 27.5 percent had a bachelor's degree or higher. The U.S. average percentage was 25.1 percent. The District of Columbia had the highest ranking at 41.1 percent; West Virginia had the lowest at 14.1 percent.
Overall, the total school enrollment in Hawaii -- lower and higher education -- was 312,600.
Wong said the Census Bureau plans to begin the new annual survey, known as the American Community Survey, in 2003. The goal, he said, is for the survey to produce up-to-date data every year for all communities and population groups beginning in 2008.
"It's all interesting," he said.