Urban Honolulu’s population declined for a 4th consecutive year in 2018
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - At a time when people are moving to cities in droves, Urban Honolulu appears to be an exception.
Newly-released Census estimates show that Urban Honolulu’s population dropped for a fourth consecutive year in 2018 ― to 347,397.
That’s down from 351,684 in 2015, or a population decline of about 1.2 percent over the period.
From 2010 to 2018, however, Urban Honolulu’s population was up overall by 2.9 percent.
Among 780 incorporated places in the United States with populations of 50,000 people or more, Honolulu ranks 56th for its size (compared to 53rd in 2010).
The Census said that Urban Honolulu makes up about 35.4 percent of Oahu’s total population.
The area’s designated boundaries extend from Aliamanu to Kahala.
The population decline in Honolulu comes as Oahu continues to see more people leaving for the mainland. From 2010 to last year, nearly 62,000 more people moved to the mainland from Oahu than moved in. That exodus was offset by births and international arrivals.
And unlike Oahu, the Neighbor Islands are seeing population growth.
The population decline in Honolulu over the last several years is in contrast to significant growth in a number of mainland cities.
The Census said the fastest-growing large city from 2017 to 2018 was Buckeye, Ariz., whose population grew by 8.5% or nearly 75,000 people over the period.
The most populated city: New York, home to 8.4 million people.
Los Angeles took a distance second, with 3.9 million people and Chicago rounded out the top three.
Copyright 2019 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
