In this election season, the media is buzzing with political stories from around the country. But how does Hawaii really stack up against the Mainland? Here are some illuminating facts about Hawaii, compared to other states:
RANK AMONG STATES (#1-ranked state first)
Median Household Income
#1 Maryland $68,080
#5 Hawaii $63,746
#51 Mississippi $36,338
State Unemployment
#1 Rhode Island 8.8%
#40 Hawaii 4.5% (tied w/ 1 other)
#51 South Dakota 3.2%
Uninsured Population
#1 Texas 24.4%
#50 Hawaii 8.3% (tied w/ 1 other)
Gas Price
#1 Alaska $3.622
#2 Hawaii $3.518
#51 Oklahoma $2.197
Unauthorized Migrants
#1 California 7.8%
#28 Hawaii 1.9% (tied w/ 2 others)
#51 West Virginia 0.0%
Poverty Rate
#1 Mississippi 18.0%
#49 Hawaii 5.5%
#51 New Hampshire 3.9%
U.S. Troop Deaths in War in Iraq (Total)
#1 California 448 troops killed
#43 Hawaii 21 troops killed (tied w/ 1 other)
#51 District of Columbia 5 troops killed
U.S. Troop Deaths in War in Iraq (per Capita)
#1 Vermont 33.7 troops killed per million residents
#19 Hawaii 16.3 troops killed per million residents
#51 Connecticut 8.0 troops killed per million residents
Schools Achieving No Child Left Behind Standards
#1 Wisconsin 98%
#51 Hawaii 34%
Per-student Education Expenditure
#1 New Jersey $13,468
#20 Hawaii $8,523
#51 Utah $5,059
Population
#1 California 36,553,215
#42 Hawaii 1,283,388
#51 Wyoming 522,830
Presidential Approval Rating
#1 Idaho, Utah 57%
#21 Hawaii 40% (tied w/ 3 others)
#51 Rhode Island 23%
Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Total)
#1 Texas 688 million tons
#44 Hawaii 22 million tons
#51 District of Columbia 4 million tons
Carbon Dioxide Emissions (per Capita)
#1 Wyoming 125.7 tons per person
#34 Hawaii 17.7 tons per person
#51 District of Columbia 6.9 tons per person
Hispanic Population
#1 New Mexico 44.4%
#19 Hawaii 8.2% (tied w/ 1 other)
#51 West Virginia 1.1%
Black Population
#1 District of Columbia 54.7%
#41 Hawaii 2.2%
White Population
#1 Vermont 96.1%
#51 Hawaii 26.6%
Non-Hispanic White Population
#1 Vermont 95.2%
#51 Hawaii 24.6%
Senior Population
#1 Florida 17.0%
#6 Hawaii 14.4% (tied w/ 1 other)
#51 Alaska 6.9%
State Gross Domestic Product (Total)
#1 California $1,727 billion
#40 Hawaii $58 billion
#51 Vermont $24 billion
State Gross Domestic Product (per Capita)
#1 District of Columbia $150,700 per person
#17 Hawaii $45,400 per person
#51 Mississippi $28,900 per person
College-educated Population
#1 District of Columbia 47.5%
#16 Hawaii 29.2%
#51 West Virginia 17.3%
Married Couple Population
#1 Utah 62.3%
#13 Hawaii 51.7% (tied w/ 3 others)
#51 District of Columbia 22.2%
Sources: Median Household Income (One-year estimates, in 2007 inflation-adjusted dollars): U.S. Census Bureau, State Unemployment (Seasonally adjusted, September 2008): The Bureau of Labor Statistics, Uninsured Population (2005-2007, three-year average): U.S. Census Bureau, Gas Price (Regular, as of Oct. 29, 2008): Oil Price Information Service, Unauthorized Migrants (As percentage of state population; approximated from 2005 data): Pew Hispanic Center, Poverty Rate (Percentage of families below the poverty threshold, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Troop Deaths in War in Iraq (Total) (As of Oct. 16, 2008): Department of Defense, U.S. Troop Deaths in War in Iraq (per Capita) (As of Oct. 16, 2008): Department of Defense, Schools Achieving No Child Left Behind Standards (Percentage of schools achieving ‘Adequate Yearly Progress’, 2004-2005 school year): Department of Education, Per-student Education Expenditure (2003-2004 school year): Department of Education, Population (2007 estimate): U.S. Census Bureau, Presidential Approval Rating (As of Oct. 2006): SurveyUSA, Carbon Dioxide Emissions (Total) (Emissions from fossil fuel combustion, metric units, 2004): Department of Energy, Carbon Dioxide Emissions (per Capita) (Emissions from fossil fuel combustion, metric units, 2004): Department of Energy, Hispanic Population (As percentage of state population, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, Black Population (Single-race, as percentage of state population, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, White Population (Single-race, as percentage of state population, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, Non-Hispanic White Population (As percentage of state population, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, Senior Population (People 65 years of age or older, as percentage of state population, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, State Gross Domestic Product (Total) (2006): The Bureau of Economic Analysis, State Gross Domestic Product (per Capita) (2006): The Bureau of Economic Analysis, College-educated Population (Percentage of people 25 years of age or older who have completed a bachelor’s degree, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau, Married Couple Population (Percentage of households that are married-couple families, 2007): U.S. Census Bureau