Talk Story
Census 2000 describes
Hawaii by the numbers
FOR ALL you quantitative types out there -- those of you who play Excel instead of Solitaire on your PCs -- there's good news. The Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism has posted a selection of Hawaii statistics from the 2000 Census on its Web site, www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/census2k.
What's especially entertaining for number crunchers is that the data are in spreadsheet format, so we can dabble -- sort, work percentages, make pivot tables and otherwise entertain ourselves.
Statewide, our population grew 9.3 percent in 2000 from 1990 at 1,211,537. But growth slackened from the 14.7 percent clip of 1980 to 1990. Lanai grew the most, by 31.6 percent to 3,193. Not counting Niihau (which actually shrank from 230 to 155 residents) Oahu grew the least, by only 4.8 percent, to 876,156.
There were 403,572 households in the state in 2000 and the average Hawaii household had almost exactly three people. Niihau had the most people per household with 3.97, followed by Oahu with 3.06 and Molokai with 3.03. The other islands had slightly fewer than 3.
The average Hawaii family size was 4.19 people. Again, Niihau had the most at 5 persons, followed by Maui with 4.26. Kauai families were the smallest with 3.99 individuals.
About one in four Hawaii adults, 26.2 percent, have a bachelor's degree or higher. Oahu leads with 27.9 percent college grads followed by Maui at 23.1 percent, Hawaii with 22.1 percent, Kauai 19.5, Lanai, 16.5 and Molokai, 13.7.
Clearly, you don't need a college degree to succeed. Statewide, 32.2 percent of adults are professionals or managers, 6 percent more than hold degrees.
The new data go into detail, right down to the census tract or neighborhood. So, if you're curious, you can find out which neighborhoods have the highest percentage of people with graduate degrees, for example.
Statewide, only 8.4 percent of adults have graduate degrees, but in the Diamond Head census tract, 35.1 percent do, followed by Leilehua Avenue, with 33.9 percent and Waialae-Iki with 33.4. Next comes Red Hill (Navy) Housing with 30.9 percent -- all those Tripler Hospital doctors, presumably.
At the other extreme, neighborhoods with the most adults with less than a 9th grade education include Mayor Wright Housing (36.5 percent), Palama (29.6), Aala (28.3), Kapalama (27.2), Chinatown (25.5), Kalihi Waena (24.8) and Kuhio Park Terrace (24.7). Statewide, 7.2 percent are in that category.
Not surprisingly, given their advanced degrees, 62.6 percent of Diamond Head residents are managers or professionals -- the highest in the state. The other top hangouts for the professional elite are the Central Business District (61.8 percent), Portlock Road (61.3), Waikiki Beach (61.2), Leilehua Avenue (60.6), Kalani (56.7) and Upper Manoa (56.2).
Neighborhood per capita incomes correspond closely with education and profession. The H1-Punahou census tract leads at $67,494 per person, but Diamond Head is right behind at $61,965. Waialae-Kahala ($54,236), Spreckelsville on Maui ($52,705), Waialae-Iki ($51,393), Portlock Road ($49,013), Kapiolani Park ($46,039), Kalaheo Avenue ($42,706), Pacific Heights-Dowsett ($42,679) and Lanikai ($41,680) round out the top ten.
No wonder Maui No Ka Oi. Maui's per capita income leads the islands at $22,543. Oahu lags at $21,998 per person, followed by Kauai at $20, 341, Hawaii at $18,791, Lanai at $18,668 and Niihau at $5,168.
Surprisingly, despite the low average per capita income on that island, only 13 percent of Niihau residents are below the poverty line. Molokai has the most at 21.4 percent followed by the Big Island at 15.7. Lanai has the least at 9.5 percent and Oahu, Kauai and Maui hover at about 10.
Hawaii women show good sense. Female employment ranges from 68 percent of sales and office jobs to only 3.3 percent of construction, extraction and maintenance workers. 51.5 percent of managers and professionals are women (including, soon, one governor).
John Flanagan is the Star-Bulletin's contributing editor.
He can be reached at: jflanagan@starbulletin.com.