About 2,412 more people resided in Hawaii County in 2015 than the year prior, newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau show.
The bureau reports Hawaii Island’s population at 196,428 as of July 1, 2015, up from 194,016 the same day in 2014. That’s roughly a 1.2 percent yearly growth rate, or about a seven-person increase each day.
“I’m not at all surprised,” said Glenn Takase, principal broker at Day-Lum Properties. “I think it’s, No. 1, our prices, and also just quality of life — that’s what a lot of clients tell us. Hilo and Hawaii seem to be a safe place to live with everything going on in the world.”
The county reported, on average, seven births each day and five deaths. And about four more people moved to the Big Island each day than moved out — two domestically and two from overseas.
Growth peaked in recent years in 2005, past census data show, when Hawaii County recorded a 3.3 percent population increase. Since 2010, the yearly growth rate has remained more modest, averaging 1.2 percent each year from 2010-15. The county’s population comprises 13.7 percent of the state’s total population, which is the same as 2014.
Hilo Realtor Nancy Cabral said the rental business these days is booming. Of about 650 rental properties the company handles, she said, it generally has only a couple of vacancies.
And she sees the trend continuing.
“I suspect that, as our baby boomers get to a point where they don’t have to be living on a freeway to go to work in Honolulu, we’ll have (even) more people coming over,” she said.
The statewide population increased about 0.8 percent in 2015, bringing the total number of Hawaii residents to 1,431,603.
On average, about eight more people moved into the state each day than moved out, thanks to growth from overseas — about 28 more people from foreign countries moved into Hawaii than out, data show. Meanwhile, 19 more people moved out of Hawaii to other states each day than moved in.
Kauai saw the largest growth rate in 2015 — 1.5 percent. Honolulu reported a 0.7 percent population increase and Maui 0.8 percent.
Nationwide, the population grew by more than 2.5 million in 2015, bringing the country’s total number of residents to 321.4 million.
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
