Who am us?

Yet another batch of census figures were released today, these incorporating wage and employment stats from 403,572 island households. Even though we're making more than we were ten years ago (at least before inflation adjustments), more of us are living below the poverty level — 7.6 percent more, in fact.

Some additional numbers...

The median annual household income was $49,820 (up from $38,829 in 1990), the poverty level pegged at $17,603. The average monthly rent is $779, and the median monthly mortgage is $1,571. One out of five of us works for the government. Thirty percent of us have never been married (but more than half of us are).

In the big picture, our "middle class" ($50,000-$74,000/year) stayed about the same size, but the number of households earning more than $75,000 annually actually increased — showing decent upward mobility among professionals. An explanation of how this is possible, even with the growth in the lower income levels, will take someone wiser than I in such matters.

As always, numbers don't tell the whole story, but to many, these numbers still say a lot. I, personally, wish we could have stats on decidedly local quirks, such as the percentage of local college graduates working outside their field (or in the service industry), or the number of multi-generational households (or rather, otherwise successful and independent people who have to live at home because of the cost of living).

Putting my "household" against the stats, we're paying rent above the average, but living considerably below the median income. We're also — knock on wood — well above the poverty line. Frankly, I can't imagine how anyone, let alone a family of four, can even simply survive on $17,000 a year. I never for a minute think we've got it tough, that's for sure.

Comments

Here's the Hawaii census page at the U.S. Census Bureau. Our total population? 1,211,537.

Hmm. According to this table, Hawaii is in the top ten for average median household income (not surprising, without a cost-of-living adjustment), but also saw one of the biggest increases (5.6 percent) in that average since 1990.

Sure doesn't feel like it.

Anyway, our median $48,026 is not much less than that of the the top state of Maryland ($51,695), but considerably greater than what you get in West Virginia ($29,052).

I invariably see the income numbers in this data and wonder where I went wrong. :)

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