The only island state in the U.S., Hawaii is estimated to have a population of approximately 1,483,762 as of 2023, making it the 40th state out of 50 in terms of total population. Hawaii's population has grown by 9.08% since 2010.
Geographically, Hawaii has eight significant islands: Kahoolawe, Kauai, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, Niihau, Oahu, and the "big island" after which the state is named Hawaii. All are populated except for the smallest, Kahoolawe, which has no permanent residents and served as a military bombing range before becoming an island preserve in the 1990s. Hawaii also includes dozens of smaller volcanic islands for 137 islands and an area of approximately 10,932 mi² (the 8th-smallest in the U.S.).
Hawaii is also home to the smallest county in the U.S.: Kalawao County, which has an area of 13.21 mi² and 88 residents.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hawaii is the third-most-diverse state in the U.S., with the highest percentage of non-whites. Unsurprisingly, given its location, Hawaii has the highest rate of Asian residents in any state. Hawaii has the best air quality of any state, is considered the happiest state in the U.S., and enjoys several colorful state nicknames, including the "Aloha State," the "Pineapple State," and the "Rainbow State."
Hawaii, the 50th state, joined the Union in August 1959. The state had three electoral votes in the 1960 election and has had four ever since. Hawaiians have voted Democratic in every election except the 1972 and 1984 contests, when the state gave wins to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, respectively. Native son Barack Obama easily won the state in 2008 and 2012, gaining over 70% of the vote. While 2016 saw a slightly closer result, Hillary Clinton's margin of nearly 32% was her largest in any of the 50 states. In 2020, Joe Biden won by just under 30%.
The movement of the Hawaiian royal family from Hawaiʻi Island to Maui and subsequently to Oahu explains the modern-day distribution of population centers. Kamehameha III chose the largest city, Honolulu, as his capital because of its natural harbor—the present-day Honolulu Harbor. The state capital, Honolulu, is located along the southeast coast of Oahu. The previous capitals were Lahaina, Maui, and Kailua-Kona, Hawaiʻi.
Hawaii has five counties: the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii County, Maui County, Kauai County, and Kalawao County.
Hawaii has the fewest local governments among U.S. states.[
Unique to this state is the lack of municipal governments. All local governments are generally administered at the county level.
The median age in Hawaii is approximately 38.5, and the state has a slight gender gap: 49.8% females and 50.2% males.
In religious terms, Hawaii has 63% Christianity-based faiths, 10% non-Christian-based faiths, and 26% unaffiliated to any particular faith.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Hawaii was:
Asian: 37.47%
Two or more races: 24.42%
White: 23.69%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 10.56%
Black or African American: 1.94%
Other race: 1.63%
Native American: 0.29%
Muslims are under 1,000
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