Critics fear Trump’s plan to redefine poverty could mean bad news for Hawaiʻi
The federal poverty line already doesn’t take into account the state’s high cost of living.
One in 10 county residents lives below poverty line
With supplemental data, Hawaiʻi falls to the 10th highest poverty rate in the nation at 15 percent, or 210,000 residents in poverty, according to Hawaiʻi Appleseed.
What new census data says—and doesn’t say—about Hawaiʻi
Incomes are slightly higher but housing costs are still among the worst in the nation.
Oʻahu residents are likely to see their rent go up
The increase is triggered by the U.S. Department of Housing, which raised the limits for affordable housing. It does mean more people will qualify for it. But it comes at a higher price.
Isle incomes increase along with home costs
Hawaiʻi incomes are on the rise, but so is the state’s cost of living and especially the housing costs, which remain the highest in the country.
Census data ranks Hawaiʻi 9th highest for poverty
When you figure in the cost of living, Hawaiʻi’s poverty rate skyrockets from 11 percent of the population to nearly 17 percent, or 1 in 6 residents.