Hawaii County, Hawaii

County Distress Index: Elevated · 50.4 | 207,615 people · 1st most distressed in Hawaii

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Hawaii County, HI registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 50.4 — 1565th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Housing Cost Burden, where a large share of households spend more than 30% of income on housing. Within Hawaii, it ranks 1st of 5 counties. Its strongest area is Community Vulnerability, where health coverage and disability rates are better than the national average.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Hawaii County's primary driver is Housing Cost Burden at 75.4 — worse than roughly 75% of U.S. counties.

Housing Cost Burden Primary driver 75.4
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 75
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 81
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 66
Homeownership Rate 57
Rent-to-Income Ratio 99
Income & Poverty 73.0
Poverty Rate 70
Income vs. State Median 85
Child Poverty Rate 63
Employment & Wages 43.1
Unemployment Rate 8
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 98
Business Formation Rate 24
Debt & Delinquency 31.0
Debt in Collections 28
Medical Debt 25
Student Loan Delinquency 52
Auto Loan Delinquency 36
Credit Card Delinquency 29
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 17
Community Vulnerability 29.3
Uninsured Rate 10
Disability Rate 49

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Hawaii County compares to its population peers.

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Hawaii County
Cullman County, AL 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Columbia County, OR 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Schenectady County, NY 50.4 Elevated +0.0
Newaygo County, MI 50.3 Elevated -0.0
Pickaway County, OH 50.5 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Hawaii County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Hawaii County

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free foreclosure prevention and financial counseling near Hawaii County.

HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY ASSETS, INC. - HILO BRANCH
Hilo
Foreclosure PreventionFinancial CounselingHomeless/DisplacementPre-Purchase
LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAII - Hilo Branch
HILO
Foreclosure PreventionReverse Mortgage

Find an Attorney

Hawaii State Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service (LRIS) offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Hawaii County residents at no cost.

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