For the eighth consecutive year, Hawaii’s population is declining, according to the United States Census Bureau’s Vintage 2023 population estimates.
Hawaii’s population continues to decline year over year. Honolulu County, which includes the entire island of Oahu, shows the largest decrease.
TriggerPhoto/Getty Images/iStockphoto“Hawaii’s population declined since 2016 in part due to increases in out-migration but also because of decreases in the number of in-migrants from the Mainland,” the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization stated in a 2020 post. “The Mainland has become a more attractive place to live for many Hawaii residents while Hawaii has become less attractive for potential Mainland in-migrants.”
The trend continues. From July 1, 2022, to July 1, 2023, Hawaii’s population dropped from 1.440 million to 1.435 million, compared with 1.455 million in 2020.
Since 2020, the state’s population total has decreased by more than 20,000. Honolulu County, which includes the entire island of Oahu, showed the largest decrease, dropping from 1.017 million in 2020 to 989,408 in 2023.
Another 2023 Census Bureau report, released in October, looked at what states people from Hawaii have migrated to, as well as which states in-migrants moved from. The 2023 American Community Survey “State-to-State Migration Flows” data found that 58,078 people left Hawaii in 2023, while 58,539 moved to Hawaii from other states.
Hawaii’s residents are leaving the Hawaiian Islands for many different reasons. The state’s high cost of living is a leading factor. Other reasons may include personal or family considerations or economic and employment opportunities, stated the Economic Research Organization.
Since the mid-1970s, large numbers of Hawaii residents have moved to Las Vegas — sometimes referred to as the “Ninth Island” — for its affordability. However, other states have now superseded Nevada as the top choice.
Source: https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/hawaii-population-decline-19972279.php