Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 5, Number 4, 1 April 1988 — Facts and Figures [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Facts and Figures

By Gordon Frazier t

Housing for Hawaiians

Housing is expensive in Hawaii. According to the U.S. Statistical Abstract, in 1980, the median value of homes owned in Hawaii was $118,000 — more than twice the national level of $47,200 (the median value is quite close to the average value). Not surprisingly, the proportion of people owning their own homes in Hawaii is lower than nationally — 51.7 percent for Hawaii compared to the national 64.4 percent.

As indicated by the graphs, about a fourth of homes owned by Hawaiians were at or below the national median level of $47,000. However, a few more than half had homes above the median State value of $118,100. Rents are also higher in Hawaii. The median rent in Hawaii is $311, compared to $243 nationally. The median rental paid by Hawaiians was $254, slightly above the national median of $243. While some Hawaiians paid less than the median, half paid more and a third paid considerably more as illustrated by the second graph.

The cost of housing has led to more crowding in Hawaii. For the nation, 4.5 percent of all houses had more than 1.01 people per room. Among Hawaiians, who own their homes, 11.3 percent had more than one person per room and 32.3 percent of renters hael more than one person per room. Since 1980, housing costs have increased by about 43.5 percent. This indicates that the 1987 median value for housing owned by Hawaiians was $133,200 and that median current rents are $364.