Hawaii dwells near the bottom among the states when it comes to homeownership and renting, according to the 2010 American Community Survey.
In the U.S. Census Bureau data released Thursday, Hawaii ranked the highest in the nation for the median cost of a home, at $525,400, compared with West Virginia, which ranked the lowest at $95,100. The national average was $179,900.
The high cost of homes reflects low homeownership, and the survey shows the state ranked among the five states on the bottom of the list of the percentage of owner-occupied housing units, at 58 percent. Washington, D.C., ranked at the bottom at 42.5 percent, followed by New York at 54.3 percent, California at 55.6 percent and Nevada at 57.2 percent. West Virginia topped the list with 74.6 percent.
In Hawaii, East Oahu ranked the highest in homeownership at nearly 70 percent, while metropolitan Honolulu had the lowest at 36.5 percent.
The state’s median rent ranked first in the country at $1,291, compared with WestVirginia, which came in last at $571. The median rent in the U.S. was $855.
Across the state, Oahu had the highest monthly rent at $1,363, while Hawaii County had the lowest at $972.
The percentage of multigenerational households in Hawaii was the highest in the nation at 7.2 percent.
Residents carpooling to work also topped the state rankings at 13.8 percent. Eugene Tian, acting state economist, said Hawaii’s high gas prices contribute to the high percentage of residents sharing a ride to work.
"We are one of the highest in terms of gas prices," he said.
The state’s household and family income is about the same as last year, indicating the economy is stabilizing, Tian said. Hawaii is among the top 10 states in terms of economic performance, he added.
In 2010, Honolulu had the highest median family income in the state at $81,177, compared with Hawaii County, which had the lowest at $57,308.
The survey showed a vast majority of Hawaii’s residents have health coverage, placing the state third in the nation at 92.1 percent.
The percentage of Hawaii residents living below the poverty level was low, 10.7 percent, ranking the state among the bottom 10. Mississippi ranked at the top in the category at 22.4 percent. In Hawaii, Honolulu County had the lowest poverty rate at 9.1 percent, and Hawaii County had the highest at 18.4 percent.
The survey also revealed Hawaii had the lowest percentage of grandparents caring for their grandchildren in their household, at 23 percent. Mississippi had the highest percentage at 57.2 percent. Tian said the percentage is a result of a dramatic decrease in the percentage of children under 18 in Hawaii households.
"We have fewer families with children," said Tian.
For more information on state rankings in the 2010 American Community Survey, go to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism website at hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/census/acs/ACS2010 Opens in a new tab and click on "ACS 2010 1-Year Estimates" and then "State Ranking Tables (1-Year Estimates)."
