Hawaii’s population maps are striking because the islands are geographically scattered while the population is not evenly scattered among them. The 2024 ACS five-year estimate places the statewide population at 1,445,235, and Honolulu County alone accounts for 1,001,146 residents. The detailed tract map reinforces that concentration: the most extensive high-density pattern appears on Oahu, especially around the Honolulu urban area. The other islands contain important population centers, but their dense areas are smaller and more separated. A 2010–2020 Census comparison adds a useful contrast, because the county with the largest current population was not the county with the fastest percentage growth during that decade.
Table of Contents
Three measures tell different stories about Hawaii
| Measure | Value in the supplied material | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 state population | 1,445,235 | ACS 2024 five-year estimate |
| Average state density | About 225 people per sq mi | Statewide average across 6,423 sq mi of land |
| Largest county population | Honolulu — 1,001,146 | Total residents, not density |
| Highest county density | Honolulu — about 1,666 people per sq mi | Residents per unit of land |
| Largest 2010–2020 increase | Kauai — +9.3% | Decennial Census percentage change |
| County with decline | Kalawao — -8.9% | Change over the decade, not current size |
Total population answers “how many people,” density answers “how concentrated are they,” and population change answers “how much did the count rise or fall between two dates.” Those measures can point in different directions. Honolulu County is both the largest and the densest in the supplied 2024 data, but Kauai County had the highest 2010–2020 percentage increase. Hawaii County is second in total population yet much less dense than Maui or Honolulu. Keeping the measures separate is the key to reading the maps correctly.
Census tracts show where Oahu’s population is most concentrated
The first map uses census tracts rather than counties, allowing the pattern inside each island to appear. Its legend runs from 0–50 people per square mile through 50–200, 200–500, 500–1,000, 1,000–2,500, 2,500–5,000, 5,000–10,000, and 10,000 or more. Darker tracts therefore represent more residents per unit of land. Oahu contains the broadest cluster of dark tracts, with the strongest concentration around the southern part of the island and the Honolulu urban area.
On the other islands, dense tracts are more localized. Hawaii Island shows higher-density patches around Hilo and other settled areas while large portions of the island remain in lighter categories. Maui and Kauai also contain compact concentrations rather than an island-wide blanket of high density. This is an important difference between a tract map and a county average. A county can have a moderate average density even though one town or coastal settlement contains a much denser cluster.
The map’s own reading note also cautions that large lightly populated tracts can include mountains, forests, deserts, or public land. The map does not establish a causal explanation for where people live; it shows the measurable spatial pattern. The evidence visible here is that Hawaii’s highest-density tracts are disproportionately concentrated on Oahu, while density on the other islands is more patchy and locally focused.
Urban Honolulu dominates the census-place map
Urban Honolulu is the largest census place in the supplied data at 345,482 residents. East Honolulu follows with 51,360, Hilo with 50,404, Pearl City with 44,547, Waipahu with 40,482, Kailua with 39,640, and Kaneohe with 37,355. Kahului has 28,288 residents, Mililani Town 27,668, and Ewa Gentry 26,563. Kapolei is listed at 22,232, Kihei at 21,567, and Mililani Mauka at 21,278.
The map is especially useful for seeing clustering rather than simply ranking names. Many of the larger circles sit close together on Oahu: Urban Honolulu, East Honolulu, Pearl City, Waipahu, Kailua, Kaneohe, Mililani Town, Ewa Gentry, Kapolei, and other places form a dense network on a relatively small island. Hilo is the most prominent labeled center on Hawaii Island, while Kahului and Kihei stand out on Maui. These circles represent census-place population, not county totals and not population density.
County totals make Honolulu’s scale unmistakable
Honolulu County has 1,001,146 residents in the 2024 ACS data. Hawaii County is a distant second at 205,769, followed by Maui County at 164,522 and Kauai County at 73,731. Kalawao County has 67 residents. The map’s reference circles at 200,000, 500,000, and 1,000,000 make the contrast easy to see: Honolulu’s circle is dramatically larger than those for the other counties.
That large circle should not be interpreted as a density symbol. It represents the number of residents. Hawaii County illustrates why the distinction matters: it has the second-largest population but covers a much larger land area, so its average density is low compared with Honolulu. Total-population maps are best for comparing the scale of county populations; density maps are required when the question is how closely people are packed into the available land.
County density separates Oahu from the larger, less dense islands
The county-density legend uses 0–10, 10–50, 50–100, 100–250, 250–500, 500–1,000, 1,000–2,500, and 2,500 or more people per square mile. Honolulu County is the clear leader at roughly 1,666 people per square mile. Maui is about 142, Kauai about 119, Hawaii County about 51, and Kalawao about 5.6. Honolulu therefore has an average density more than ten times that of Maui and far above the larger Hawaii County.
The state summary printed on the map reports 1,445,235 residents, 6,423 square miles of land, and an average density of about 225 people per square mile. That statewide average is useful for broad context, but it does not describe any single island particularly well. It sits far below Honolulu County and above Hawaii County. The tract map adds another layer by showing that even within a county, residents are concentrated in particular urban and residential zones rather than spread uniformly across the land.
Kauai had the fastest 2010–2020 county growth
This map uses a different time frame from the 2024 ACS maps. It compares county populations from the 2010 and 2020 decennial censuses, with legend classes below -10%, -10% to -2%, -2% to 2%, 2% to 10%, 10% to 25%, and 25% or more. Kauai County rose from 67,091 residents in 2010 to 73,298 in 2020, a gain of about 9.3%. Hawaii County increased from 185,079 to 200,629, or about 8.4%.
Honolulu County grew from 953,207 to 1,016,508, about 6.6%, while Maui County rose from 154,834 to 164,754, about 6.4%. Kalawao County declined from 90 to 82 residents, or -8.9%. The ranking is a useful reminder that the fastest percentage growth does not necessarily occur in the county with the most people. Honolulu was vastly larger in absolute population, but Kauai posted the highest percentage increase over the decade.
What the island-by-island comparison reveals
Read together, the maps make Oahu’s role unmistakable. Honolulu County combines the state’s largest county population, the highest countywide density, and the densest network of major census places. The tract map shows the same concentration at a finer scale, with the most extensive dark-density pattern around Honolulu and other parts of Oahu. Multiple independent measures therefore point to the same broad spatial fact: Hawaii’s population is strongly concentrated on Oahu.
The other islands still differ meaningfully from one another. Hawaii County has 205,769 residents but averages only about 51 people per square mile. Maui County has fewer residents, 164,522, yet a substantially higher density of about 142. Kauai County has 73,731 residents and density around 119, while recording the fastest 2010–2020 percentage growth. Those contrasts are why no single map can answer every population question. County totals, density, place population, and decade-long change each describe a different aspect of settlement.
Download and use the Hawaii population map set
Use the tract-density map when the goal is to identify fine-grained concentrations within the islands. Use the county-total map to compare how many people live in each county, and the county-density map to compare residents per unit of land. The major-cities map is best for comparing named census places and urban clusters. For historical change, use the 2010–2020 map and keep its Census period clearly separated from the 2024 ACS estimates used in the other maps.
Hawaii population map collection
The ZIP package contains high-resolution JPG versions of the population maps shown above.
FAQ
Which Hawaii county has the highest population density?
Honolulu County is highest in the supplied 2024 ACS five-year data at about 1,666 people per square mile. Maui is about 142, Kauai about 119, Hawaii County about 51, and Kalawao about 5.6.
Is Honolulu also Hawaii’s most populous county?
Yes. Honolulu County has 1,001,146 residents in the supplied 2024 ACS estimate, far more than Hawaii County at 205,769. Total population and density are still separate measures even though Honolulu ranks first in both here.
Which Hawaii county grew fastest from 2010 to 2020?
Kauai County had the largest percentage increase at about +9.3%. Hawaii County grew about +8.4%, Honolulu +6.6%, and Maui +6.4%, while Kalawao declined by about -8.9%.
Related Maps
Official data sources
- U.S. Census Bureau — American Community Survey (ACS): framework for the 2024 five-year population and density estimates.
- U.S. Census Bureau — TIGER/Line Shapefiles: geographic boundaries for counties, census tracts, and related mapping.
- U.S. Census Bureau — Decennial Census: basis for the 2010 and 2020 county population-change comparison.
Green Map creates custom-edited map images using open geographic data sources such as geoBoundaries, Natural Earth, OpenStreetMap, and government open data.
These maps are edited visual materials, not raw data files, and are provided for education, documents, presentations, and graphic reference.
