Hawaii's typical rent, $1,971 a month, is 2nd highest in the country and its one big strain
Each state is shaded by how distressed its households are, from green (least) to red (most), with data through September 2026. Hawaii scores 22 out of 100.
Most of Hawaii's measures run low: unemployment over June to August 2026 ranked 4th lowest nationally, and debts in collections 3rd lowest. Rent is where the strain sits: in 2024, 28.1% of Hawaii's renter households put at least half their income into housing, a share topped by only five places. Hawaiʻi County leads the state's five counties on poverty and on distress, where it is more distressed than 43% of U.S. counties.
- Score
- 22/100
- Data through
- September 2026
- Edition
- October 2026
Next edition expected March 2027
How Hawaii ranks among the states
Hawaii is the 40th most distressed on the State Distress Index. Its renter-cost part scores 95, far above the other three parts. The jobs part scores 8. Expensive housing does not mean every measure of distress is high.
Renters’ costs pull one part of the score up
Each measure is ranked among states and D.C. A part averages its measures, then the four parts form a combined average. Hawaii’s displayed score is the share of the other places whose combined average is lower. It is not the average of the four displayed part scores.
- Renters’ housing costs9528.1% of renter households spent at least half their income on housing in 2024.
- Late payments22Card, car-loan and mortgage borrowers were less likely to be seriously behind than their national comparisons in early 2025.
- Collections and bankruptcy12Collections and bankruptcy filings are near the low end of the state rankings.
- Jobs8Hawaii’s unemployment averaged 2.7% over June to August 2026, below the U.S. 4.1%.
Hawaii’s quarterly score has swung widely over time
At its highest
The quarterly series reached 66 in 2020 and 2021.
At its lowest
The series reached 4 in 2006. At that low, Hawaii was more distressed than only 4% of the other places.
Today’s score
Hawaii’s quarterly history closes at 26 in early 2025. Today’s score is 22, with newer inputs.
Hawaii’s distress score remains below its earlier high
Quarterly State Distress Index history through early 2025; the edition uses newer inputs.
Why is Hawaii expensive? Rent and basic expenses both matter
Hawaii’s median monthly gross rent was $1,971 in the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 survey, against $1,413 nationally. The separate 2024 survey found 28.1% of Hawaii renter households spent at least half their income on housing. That exceeds the U.S. 26.1%. MIT’s $64,504 annual budget for one adult in 2025 covers basic expenses beyond rent. It is a model for a specified household, not an observed household bill.
Median gross rent each month
$1,971
U.S. $1,413
Census Bureau, 2020–2024
Renters spending half their income on housing
28.1%
U.S. 26.1%
Census Bureau, 2024
Median household income
$101,581
U.S. $81,604
Census Bureau, 2024
A broader basic-needs budget
The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates $64,504 a year before taxes for one adult in Hawaii, using 2025 dollars. Its budget includes food, transportation, medical care and other basics as well as housing. This model describes one household type; the Census median household income covers households of many sizes.
High income does not erase a renter’s housing bill
Hawaii’s median household income ranks 5th highest. A statewide income median includes homeowners and renters. The rent-burden measure compares each renter household’s own housing cost with its own income; dividing the two statewide medians would give the wrong answer.
Homeowners face a separate measure. In the five-year Census survey, 30.3% of Hawaii owner households spent at least 30% of income on housing, against 22.5% nationally. The two surveys and thresholds should stay separate.
The Hawaii Public Utilities Commission is reviewing an electricity revenue proposal. It is a request, not an approved increase. The rent and income figures above do not include a forecast of household electricity bills.
Hawaiʻi County has the highest poverty and distress of Hawaii’s counties
In the Census Bureau’s 2024 county estimates, Hawaiʻi County had the highest measured poverty rate, 15.7%. It also posts the top County Distress Index score, 43. Kalawao has the lowest distress score, 12, but most of its inputs are estimated, and the Census Bureau publishes no poverty or income figure for it. Honolulu has the lowest published county poverty rate, 8.8%.
Hawaiʻi Island has the darkest county score
Each of Hawaii’s 5 counties is shaded from green (least) to red (most) distressed.
Loading the county map…
The county map could not be loaded. All five counties are in the table on this page.
Score bands across the islands
4 of Hawaii’s 5 counties are in the lightest national score band. Hawaiʻi County is in the next band. None reaches the three darker bands.
0 score 80–100
0 score 70–79
0 score 50–69
1 score 30–49
4 score 0–29
Poverty and distress answer different county questions
Hawaiʻi County leads both measured poverty and the distress index. Maui ranks second on both. Honolulu has the lowest published poverty rate, 8.8%, but Kalawao has the lowest distress score. A poverty comparison cannot include Kalawao because the Census Bureau does not publish its estimate. Poverty is also one of the county index’s inputs, so the two measures overlap.
Hilo sits in Hawaiʻi County, which has the state’s highest published poverty rate, 15.7%, in the Census Bureau’s 2024 estimates.
Photo: Famartin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Figure: U.S. Census Bureau.
Honolulu has the highest income, but not the lowest distress
Honolulu’s median household income was $104,305 in the 2024 Census county estimates, the highest published figure in Hawaii. Its county distress score is 20, higher than Kauaʻi’s and Kalawao’s. Income is one of the county index’s inputs, alongside rent burden, late payments, collections and jobs.
U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates; American Default Research, County Distress Index.
Hawaii’s poverty rate is below the U.S. rate, with a gap among its counties
The Census Bureau estimated that 10.0% of Hawaii residents lived in poverty in 2024, below the U.S. 12.1%. Hawaiʻi County’s published estimate was 15.7%; Honolulu’s was 8.8%. Kalawao has no published county estimate in this series. The statewide figure includes the state population and is not an average of the four printed county rates.
Residents in poverty
10.0%
U.S. 12.1%
2024
Children in poverty
11.4%
U.S. 15.5%
2024
Median household income
$101,581
U.S. $81,604
2024
The chart follows Hawaii’s and the nation’s poverty rates across the available Census county-based series. It shows the longer path behind the 2024 comparison.
Hawaii’s poverty rate sits under the U.S. rate in the latest year
U.S. Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, through 2024.
Poverty estimates count people under Census thresholds, not everyone who struggles with a high rent. The state’s SNAP program uses different eligibility rules. The U.S. Department of Agriculture counted 158,135 Hawaii recipients in July 2026.
Fewer Hawaii workers are unemployed than nationwide, by rate
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated Hawaii’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate at 2.7% in August 2026. The U.S. rate was 4.1%. Hawaiʻi County’s unadjusted county rate was 3.4%, while Kauaʻi’s was 2.5%. These county figures use a different seasonal treatment from the state figure.
Hawaii unemployment
2.7%
U.S. 4.1%
August 2026, seasonally adjusted
Three-month average
2.7%
U.S. 4.1%
June–August 2026
Population change
−1.3%
Census Bureau, 2020–2025
The monthly chart places the current low unemployment rate against the state’s longer jobless history. It compares Hawaii with the national series using the same seasonally adjusted method.
Hawaii’s jobless path beside the nation’s
Seasonally adjusted monthly unemployment through August 2026.
In 2024, wages made up 47.4% of personal income in Hawaii and 49.7% across the U.S. The rest includes transfers and investment income. Unemployment alone does not describe those other sources.
What changed in Hawaii in the past year
These dated developments reached food, housing or utility budgets. None is assigned as the cause of a change in the state index.
-
Oct. 16, 2026
Wildfire emergency procurement rules were renewed
Hawaii’s emergency proclamation extended procurement flexibility for wildfire response through Dec. 15, 2026. The order addresses public purchasing and does not quantify household losses or a change in the distress score.
-
Oct. 1, 2026
New SNAP income standards took effect
The Hawaii Department of Human Services posted updated household income standards for food assistance. Its table sets eligibility thresholds, not the number of people who will receive benefits.
-
Sept. 2, 2026
Storm-related food benefit replacements were announced
The Department of Human Services announced replacement SNAP benefits for qualifying households after Tropical Cyclone Lala. Its announcement names Hawaiʻi County, Oʻahu and West Maui among the affected areas.
Hawaii Department of Human Services, SNAP replacement announcement
-
Aug. 1, 2026
Maui Relief Program narrowed new applications
The Department of Human Services announced on July 20 that, starting Aug. 1, new Maui Relief Program applications would be limited to households with minor dependent children. It cited the expected exhaustion of state disaster relief funds.
Hawaii Department of Human Services, Maui Relief Program update
-
April 1, 2026
Hawaiian Electric warned of higher electric costs
The state Division of Consumer Advocacy posted Hawaiian Electric’s own warning about potential fuel-related bill increases. That warning did not set a particular household bill.
Hawaii has high debt balances, yet few credit records in collections
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York counted $83,480 in household debt per person with a credit report at the end of 2025, above the U.S. $63,200. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found 7.8% of Hawaii people with a credit record had a debt in collections in early 2025, below the U.S. comparison of 13.2%. Balances and collections count different things.
Borrowers who are seriously behind
The Philadelphia Fed’s borrower shares compare Hawaii and the U.S. across cards, car loans and mortgages. The collections bar counts people who have a credit report, not borrowers with a loan, so it is a different group.
Dollars past due tell a different part of the story
The New York Fed counts the share of loan dollars at least 90 days late. Hawaii’s card-dollar share was 10.2% at the end of 2025, compared with 7.2% in 2019. These dollar shares do not replace the borrower percentages above.
| Measure | Hawaii | U.S. | Hawaii in 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card dollars 90+ days late Hawaii in 2019 7.2% | 10.2% U.S. 12.4% | 12.4% | 7.2% |
| Car-loan dollars 90+ days late Hawaii in 2019 4.1% | 3.7% U.S. 5.2% | 5.2% | 4.1% |
| Mortgage dollars 90+ days late Hawaii in 2019 0.7% | 0.6% U.S. 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.7% |
| Household debt per person with a credit report Hawaii in 2019 $74,230 | $83,480 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | $74,230 |
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax. End-of-year values. Household debt means private balances, not Hawaii government debt.
Hawaii’s bankruptcy filing rate is below the national rate
U.S. Courts recorded 1,194 Hawaii filings in 2025. Against the Census Bureau’s 2025 population, that was 83.3 filings per 100,000 residents. The national rate was 166.3. Filings are court cases, not everyone carrying debt or missing a payment.
Filings per 100,000 residents
83.3
U.S. 166.3
2025
All filings
1,194
2025
Chapter 13 share
39.8%
U.S. 35.9%
2025 filings
The bankruptcy rate and late-payment measures cover different people and periods. The court filing table does not show case outcomes. Read the national bankruptcy series →
Hawaii few mortgage borrowers are seriously behind
The Philadelphia Fed found 0.9% of Hawaii mortgage borrowers at least 90 days late in early 2025, against 1.2% nationally. The Federal Housing Finance Agency estimated 2.0% of Hawaii mortgages had less than 10% equity in the second quarter of 2026. Neither figure counts foreclosure filings or determines an individual loan’s status.
Hawaii’s foreclosure law overview explains the general process and points to public sources. The statewide credit measures above cannot tell a homeowner which rule applies to a particular case.
Hawaii mortgage complaints at the CFPB
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s database holds 1,649 Hawaii mortgage complaints from January 2012 through the October 2026 cutoff. The newest payment and mortgage-help reports appear below. The bureau publishes consumers’ reports; it does not verify each allegation or establish a statewide problem rate.
- Oct. 3, 2026 Bank of Hawaii Corporation Payment process: escrow, taxes or insurance Closed with explanation
- Oct. 1, 2026 BSI Financial Struggling to pay: applying for a modification, forbearance, short sale or deed-in-lieu Closed with explanation
- Sept. 29, 2026 Shellpoint / NewRez Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan In progress
- Sept. 28, 2026 Freedom Mortgage Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan In progress
- Sept. 26, 2026 Select Portfolio Servicing Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan In progress
- Sept. 16, 2026 Freedom Mortgage Struggling to pay: an existing modification, forbearance or other relief In progress
- Sept. 8, 2026 SouthLaw, P.C. Payment process: trouble reaching the company to fix a problem with the loan Closed with explanation
- Sept. 4, 2026 Shellpoint / NewRez Payment process In progress
- Aug. 23, 2026 Freedom Mortgage Payment process In progress
- Aug. 17, 2026 Carrington Mortgage Struggling to pay: trouble reaching the company about a modification, forbearance or foreclosure Closed with explanation
Recent Hawaii mortgage payment and assistance complaints in the CFPB database. Each is one person’s account, which the bureau doesn’t verify.
The Hawaii foreclosure overview gives the general legal setting and public help sources.
What to watch before the next edition
These scheduled releases and decisions can change the context for the next quarterly update. A scheduled proposal is not an approved household charge.
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Nov. 7, 2026
Affordable-housing emergency order expires unless renewed
The state procurement page lists this expiration for the affordable-housing proclamation. A later order could change the date.
-
Nov. 20, 2026
October state unemployment release
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics schedules state unemployment estimates for October. Earlier monthly figures may be revised.
-
Jan. 1, 2027
Proposed first phase of electric rate rebasing
Hawaiian Electric requested a first-phase change for this date. The Public Utilities Commission must decide whether and how rates change.
Where Hawaii ranks highest and lowest
Rent, income, missed payments and jobs put Hawaii in very different places on national lists. Each row keeps its own measure and year.
| Measure | Hawaii | U.S. | Rank | Latest data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent each month 2nd highest · 2020–2024* | $1,971 U.S. $1,413 | $1,413 | 2nd highest | 2020–2024* |
| Renters spending half their income on housing 6th highest · 2024 | 28.1% U.S. 26.1% | 26.1% | 6th highest | 2024 |
| Owners spending at least 30% on housing 2nd highest · 2020–2024* | 30.3% U.S. 22.5% | 22.5% | 2nd highest | 2020–2024* |
| Median household income 5th highest · 2024 | $101,581 U.S. $81,604 | $81,604 | 5th highest | 2024 |
| Residents in poverty Tied for 10th lowest · 2024 | 10.0% U.S. 12.1% | 12.1% | Tied for 10th lowest | 2024 |
| Children in poverty Tied for 9th lowest · 2024 | 11.4% U.S. 15.5% | 15.5% | Tied for 9th lowest | 2024 |
| Unemployment rate, three-month average 4th lowest · June–August 2026 | 2.7% U.S. 4.1% | 4.1% | 4th lowest | June–August 2026 |
| People with a debt in collections 3rd lowest · Early 2025 | 7.8% U.S. 13.2% | 13.2% | 3rd lowest | Early 2025 |
| Card borrowers 90+ days late Tied for 11th lowest · Early 2025 | 9.8% U.S. 13.5% | 13.5% | Tied for 11th lowest | Early 2025 |
| Car-loan borrowers 90+ days late Tied for 13th lowest · Early 2025 | 5.6% U.S. 8.5% | 8.5% | Tied for 13th lowest | Early 2025 |
| Mortgage borrowers 90+ days late Tied for 15th lowest · Early 2025 | 0.9% U.S. 1.2% | 1.2% | Tied for 15th lowest | Early 2025 |
| Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents (2025 population) 10th lowest · 2025 | 83.3 U.S. 166.3 | 166.3 | 10th lowest | 2025 |
| Household debt per person with a credit report 5th highest · End of 2025 | $83,480 U.S. $63,200 | $63,200 | 5th highest | End of 2025 |
Ranks cover the 50 states and D.C.; ties share a rank. *Census Bureau five-year estimates. The severe renter-cost share comes from a separate one-year survey. Philadelphia Fed percentages count borrowers; New York Fed figures count dollars. Sources and method lists the producers. Download the table as CSV.
Questions about Hawaii
Why is Hawaii expensive to live in?
Housing is one measurable part. The Census Bureau puts Hawaii’s median monthly gross rent at $1,971 for 2020–2024, against $1,413 nationwide. Its separate 2024 survey found 28.1% of renters spent at least half their income on housing. These are not an all-items cost-of-living index. See the rent comparison →
What is Hawaii’s poverty rate?
The Census Bureau estimated 10.0% in 2024, against 12.1% nationwide. Hawaiʻi County had the highest published county rate, 15.7%. Kalawao’s county rate was not published. Compare the counties →
Which is Hawaii’s poorest county?
Hawaiʻi County had the highest published 2024 county poverty rate, 15.7%, and the lowest published median household income, $74,602. Kalawao has no published Census county estimates for either measure. Read the county table →
What is Hawaii’s unemployment rate?
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 2.7% for August 2026, seasonally adjusted. The U.S. rate was 4.1%. See the longer jobs series →
How many Hawaii borrowers are behind on bills?
There is no count of every unpaid bill. The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found 9.8% of Hawaii card borrowers at least 90 days late in early 2025. Its collections share was 7.8% of people with a credit record. Compare the debt measures →
Cite or reuse Hawaii’s data
The edition preserves the producer, period and measure behind each printed figure.
State Distress Index
Hawaii
40thmost distressed state
of the 50 states and D.C.
More distressed than 22% of the other states and D.C.
Hawaii scores 22 on the State Distress Index, the 40th most distressed. The Census Bureau’s 2024 poverty estimate was 10.0% statewide and 15.7% in Hawaiʻi County. The county’s County Distress Index score, 43, was highest in Hawaii.
Reporters can request an interview or a custom cut of the data at press@americandefault.org.
Sources and method
We gather the data, run the numbers and research each state ourselves.
This edition: October 2026 · Next edition expected March 2027
- Poverty and household incomeU.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates2024
- Rent, housing costs and homeownershipU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey2020–2024 and 2024
- Single-adult basic-needs budgetMIT Living Wage Calculator, Hawaii2025 dollars
- PopulationU.S. Census Bureau, population estimatesthrough 2025
- UnemploymentU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statisticsthrough August 2026
- Borrower lateness and collectionsFederal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Consumer Credit Explorerfirst quarter 2025
- Debt balances and late dollarsFederal Reserve Bank of New York, Consumer Credit Panel / Equifax2019 and 2025
- Bankruptcy filingsAdministrative Office of the U.S. Courts, 2025 table F-22025
- Personal incomeU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, personal-income accounts2024
- SNAP enrollmentU.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Administrationthrough 2026
- Mortgage equityFederal Housing Finance Agency, National Mortgage Databasesecond quarter 2026
- Mortgage complaintsConsumer Financial Protection Bureau, public complaint databasethrough October 2026
- Housing counselorsU.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, agency searchOctober 2026
- Hawaii food assistance and Maui reliefHawaii Department of Human Services2026
- Proposed electric ratesHawaii Public Utilities Commission, rebasing docket2026
- Hilo Bay photoFamartin / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.02021
Each measure is ranked against the other states and D.C. A part averages its measures. Each state’s score is the share of the other 50 states and D.C. with a lower average across the four parts. The county index uses a broader local set of measures. Full method →
We write with AI tools, and Ross Kilburn checks and reviews every page before it's published.
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Thanks, that helps.