Unemployment in Hawaii County, Hawaii, is lower than in 88% of U.S. counties
In Hawaii County, 3.0% of the labor force was out of work, on average (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025 to Aug 2026). That is lower than in 88% of U.S. counties.
Less distressed than 55% of U.S. counties.
What drives Hawaii County's score
In Hawaii County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 89.3. Collections and bankruptcy is the lowest part, at 22.2. Bankruptcy filings ran at 64.5 per 100,000 people (2025), lower than in 83% of U.S. counties.
The County Distress Index combines five things we measure for every county: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each gets a score from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the worse off the county is compared with others.
Even so, Hawaii County is worse off than most counties on rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income (33.5%, fiscal year 2027) and renters paying half their income or more in rent (23.4%, 2020 to 2024).
The five parts count equally; together they hold 14 measures. Under each part, a bar shows where Hawaii County ranks among all 3,144 U.S. counties on that measure, as a percentile: the share of counties it is higher than. A longer bar means more trouble.
- 89.3 of 100
Housing costs
Biggest factorHUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027; renters, 2020–24 Census survey
- Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income33.5% · fiscal year 202799th percentile
- Renters paying half their income or more in rent23.4% · 2020 to 202479th percentile
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- 44.8 of 100
Income and safety net
Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey
- Children below the poverty line19.3% · 202461st percentile
- People with a disability16.0% · 2020 to 202450th percentile
- Median household income (lower income, longer bar)$74,602 · 202429th percentile
- People below the poverty line15.7% · 202468th percentile
- People without health insurance4.5% · 2020 to 202413th percentile
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- 44.7 of 100
Jobs
Adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey; unemployment through Aug 2026
- Adults 25 to 54 not working25.7% · 2020 to 202477th percentile
- Unemployment rate, 12-month average3.0% · Sep 2025 to Aug 202612th percentile
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- 32.9 of 100
Late payments
Credit records, August 2025; credit scores, Q4 2025
- People with a car or retail loan behind4.3% · August 202536th percentile
- People with a credit card behind4.2% · August 202528th percentile
- People with a subprime credit score19.9% · Q4 202534th percentile
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- 22.2 of 100
Collections and bankruptcy
Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025
- People with unpaid debt sent to a collector17.3% · August 202527th percentile
- Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people64.5 · 202516th percentile
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Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and U.S. Census Bureau income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Aug 2026.
Where the money in Hawaii County comes from
The Bureau of Economic Analysis adds up all the income that reaches the people of a county and splits it three ways: pay from work, income from investments and rent, and benefit checks.
Cents of every dollar of income, 2024
Hawaii County
Hawaii
United States
- Pay from work
- Investments and rent
- Benefit checks
In Hawaii County in 2024, pay from work was 51 cents of every dollar of income. Income from investments and rentals was 24 cents. Benefit checks were 25 cents. Across the country, pay is 61 cents of the dollar and benefit checks are 18.
Benefit checks have grown from 8 cents of every dollar in 1969, but pay from work still brings in more.
In Hawaii County, benefit checks rose from 8 to 25 cents of every dollar
Benefit checks and pay from work as shares of all personal income, Hawaii County, Hawaii: 25.4% and 50.5% in 2024. Yearly, 1969–2024.
Use this chart Free to use with credit
The quote: In 2024, benefit checks made up 25.4% of all personal income in Hawaii County, Hawaii (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, CAINC4).
Benefit checks are Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid paid on people's behalf, veterans' benefits, and food and income support, so a high share usually means an older population, low pay, or both. In Hawaii County, 23.8% of residents are 65 or older (Census Bureau, 2024), against 17.2% nationally.
How Hawaii County has changed
The number of people living in Hawaii County more than doubled between 1969 and 2024, from 63,104 to 209,790. The number of jobs located there grew by about 52% from 1990 to 2024.
Unemployment fell from 3.8% in 1990 to 2.7% in 2025.
| Measure | Then | Now |
|---|---|---|
| People living in the countyBEA | 1969 63,104 | 2024 209,790 |
| Jobs located in the countyBLS QCEW | 1990 48,675 | 2024 74,029 |
| Unemployment rateBLS LAUS | 1990 3.8% | 2025 2.7% |
| People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE | 1989 14.2% | 2024 15.7% |
| Median household income (not adjusted for prices)Census SAIPE | 1989 $25,091 | 2024 $74,602 |
| Share of income from benefit checksBEA | 1969 7.7% | 2024 25.4% |
Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices. We don't chart the distress score over time because it compares counties at one moment.
Dated events in Hawaii County's history
Largest decennial census count
The county's largest recorded population was the 2020 Census count of 200,629, which is also its most recent census. Census Bureau
1905
Founded in 1905. Wikipedia
1946
Tsunami from 8.6-magnitude earthquake on April 1, 1946 killed 96 people in Hilo. Wikipedia
1960
Tsunami from 9.5-magnitude earthquake on May 22, 1960 killed 61 people. Wikipedia
1990
Sugar plantations closed during the 1990s and hurt the local economy. Wikipedia
2000
Flash flood: $70 million in property damage. NOAA Storm Events Database
2011
Flash flood: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2012
Flash flood: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
2015
Flash flood: one death. NOAA Storm Events Database
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Since 1973
21 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Hawaii County, 4 of them for flooding. FEMA
Storms are listed if they did $1 million or more in damage or killed someone.
Hawaii County beside its neighbors
Hawaii County scores higher than all four counties that border it. Of the group, Hawaii County gets the largest share of its income from benefit checks (25.4%).
| County | Score | Poverty | Benefit checks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii County, HI | 44 | 15.7% | 25.4% |
| Maui County, HI | 27 | 9.9% | — |
| Honolulu County, HI | 21 | 8.8% | 16.1% |
| Kauai County, HI | 16 | 9.5% | 20.3% |
| Kalawao County, HI | 13 | 0.0% | — |
Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Aug 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024. Benefit checks: Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2024. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.
Is Hawaii County the poorest county in Hawaii?
Yes, Hawaii County's poverty rate was 15.7% in 2024, the highest of 4 counties in Hawaii (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Hawaii County ranks 1st of 5 in the state.
Hawaii County in photographs
Places in Hawaii County from Wikimedia Commons, each captioned in its photographer's own words.
Aerial of the Hilton Waikoloa, located along the South Kohala coast on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Photo: George . Edit by User:Muhammad Mahdi Karim via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Kalakaua Park, Hilo, Hawaii, War Memorial.
Hawaii County, Hawaii: common questions
What is the poverty rate in Hawaii County, Hawaii?
15.7% in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates: about one in six people. Among children it was 19.3%.
Is Hawaii County the poorest county in Hawaii?
Yes, Hawaii County's poverty rate was 15.7% in 2024, the highest of 4 counties in Hawaii (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Hawaii County ranks 1st of 5 in the state.
What is the population of Hawaii County, Hawaii?
About 209,790 people in 2024, by the Bureau of Economic Analysis's count. The 2020 Census counted 200,629, the most of any census.
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
We rank every U.S. county on 14 federal measures of money trouble, grouped into five equally weighted parts, and average them. The published score is the share of the other 3,143 counties with a lower average. The methodology lists every measure and its source.
If you're behind on your mortgage in Hawaii County
A U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved housing counselor works at a nonprofit agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The counseling to avoid foreclosure is free, and a counselor can help you talk to your mortgage company and understand what it offers, according to the Consumer Financial Protection BureauSourceCFPB.
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Hawaiian Community Assets, Inc. - Hilo Branch
HUD-approved housing counselor
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LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF HAWAII - Hilo Branch
HUD-approved housing counselor
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Legal Aid Society of Hawaii
Legal aid
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Volunteer Legal Services Hawaii
Legal aid
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HUD-approved housing counselors
Counseling to avoid foreclosure is free. Our help directory lists 1,311 approved agencies by state.
The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.
Download the CSV for Hawaii County · Every U.S. county (CSV)
Sources and method
- American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Aug 2026, built from HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; Urban Institute, Debt in America; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. Our methodology
- U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts (CAINC4) · income shares Where the money in Hawaii County comes from, 2024.
- History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.