HILO, Hawaii (AP) - U.S. Census Bureau estimates for Hawaii show the Big Island reached a milestone with its population rising above 200,000 last year.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the Big Island’s population has increased by an average of 1.1 percent since 2010, the highest annual growth for the state.
While the Big Island grew last year, the census data made public Thursday shows that Hawaii’s total population dropped by a little more than 1,000. The state recorded a population of about 1.4 million people.
State economist Eugene Tian says the population drop was the first for the state since 1998.
Tian says the population decrease is mostly from the island of Oahu. The island had an average net loss of nearly 7,000 people since 2010.
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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/
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