Hawaii is among five states that saw declines in the number and percentage of households receiving public assistance between 2011 and 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

A brief released by the bureau today, is based on data collected during the 2012 American Community Survey on household receipt of public assistance, including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and General Assistance (GA).

Including Hawaii, the number of welfare households also decreased in Arizona, Indiana, Virginia and Washington.

Conversely, seven states  including Florida, Iowa, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon and South Dakota, saw increases during the period.

The 2000 American Community Survey found that about 2.7 million households, or 2.6 percent, received public assistance at some point in the past 12 months. In 2012, both the number and percentage were higher.

In the years from 2000 to 2012, 26 states experienced increases in both the number and percentage of households receiving public assistance.