What is the poverty rate in Hawaii?
Updated monthly
About 10% of Hawaii’s population in 2024. The poverty rate is the percentage of people whose household income falls below the poverty threshold set by the government. It measures the percentage of people in households that don’t earn enough to pay for basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. In 2024, 140,840 people in Hawaii were considered in poverty.
10%
of the population (2024)
141K
people living under the poverty line (2024)
Based on data from the American Community Survey dating back to 2010, Hawaii's poverty rate hit a peak in 2011 of 12%. Its lowest point was in 2018 at 8.8%. The state's poverty rate was 10% in 2024, 0.2 percentage point lower than the previous year.
In 2024, 10% of Hawaii population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate
While the poverty rate shows the overall trend, the total number matters because many aid programs and funding decisions are based on how many people are in poverty, not just the percentage. In 2024, 140,840 people living in Hawaii were in poverty — down 12.7% from the 2011 peak of 161,290.
In 2024, 140,800 people in Hawaii were in poverty.
People living under poverty line
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
From 2014 to 2024, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Hawaii decreased from 14.7% to 11.5%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 11% to 9.7%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 8.2% to 9.3%.
In 2024, 11.5% of children in Hawaii were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group
Among racial or ethnic groups in Hawaii during 2024, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: American Indian and Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race), Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, some other race, White alone, not Hispanic or Latino.
Three had a lower than average poverty rate: Asian, Black or African American, and two or more races.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population shifted the most, decreasing from 12.2% in 2014 to 5.7% in 2024.
In Hawaii, the poverty rate for the Black or African American population decreased from 12.2% in 2014 to 5.7% in 2024.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Hawaii counties ranged from 8.8% in Kauai County to 31.7% in Kalawao County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Honolulu County — was 9.1%.
In 2019-2023, the poverty rate among Hawaii counties ranged from 8.8% to 31.7%.
Poverty rate
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
The analysis was generated with the help of AI and reviewed by USAFacts for accuracy.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
