What is the poverty rate in Hawaii?
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The poverty rate was about 9.3% of Hawaii’s population as of 2025. 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 2025, 130,800 people in Hawaii were considered in poverty.
9.3%
of the population (2025)
131K
people living under the poverty line (2025)
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 9.3% in 2025, 0.7 percentage points lower than the previous year.
In 2025, 9.3% of Hawaii's population were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate, 2010–2025
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 2025, 130,800 people living in Hawaii were in poverty — down 18.9% from the 2011 peak of 161,300.
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In 2025, 130,800 people in Hawaii were in poverty.
People living under poverty line, 2010–2025
Poverty doesn’t affect all groups equally. Rates vary widely by demographic group, family type and location.
What is the child poverty rate in Hawaii?
From 2015 to 2025, the poverty rate for children under 18 in Hawaii decreased from 14.2% to 10.9%. During the same period, the poverty rate for adults under 65 years decreased from 10.1% to 8.8%. For those older than 65, the poverty rate increased from 7.8% to 9.4%.
In 2025, 10.9% of children in Hawaii were living under the poverty line.
Poverty rate by age group, 2015–2025
How does poverty differ by race in Hawaii?
Among racial or ethnic groups in Hawaii during 2025, five had a higher poverty rate than the state’s overall rate: Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race); Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander; some other race; and two or more races
Two had a lower than average poverty rate: White, not Hispanic or Latino; and Asian.
Over the previous ten years, the poverty rate for the Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population shifted the most, decreasing from 20.5% in 2015 to 15.9% in 2025.
In Hawaii, the poverty rate for the Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population decreased from 20.5% in 2015 to 15.9% in 2025.
Poverty rate by race or ethnicity, 2015–2025
What counties in Hawaii have the highest and lowest poverty rates?
In 2020–2024, the poverty rate among Hawaii counties ranged from 9.1% in Kauai County to 22.7% in Kalawao County. The poverty rate in the state’s largest county — Honolulu County — was 9.2%.
In 2020-2024, the poverty rate among Hawaii counties ranged from 9.1% to 22.7%.
Poverty rate
Poverty rate, by county (2024)
| 1. | Kalawao County | 22.7% |
| 2. | Hawaii County | 14.9% |
| 3. | Maui County | 9.2% |
| 4. | Honolulu County | 9.2% |
| 5. | Kauai County | 9.1% |
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
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.
