Delays in the U.S. census due to the COVID-19 pandemic could lead to delays in funding as well as other issues for Hawaii.
Data from the census is used for everything from allocating federal funds to determining congressional representation. The results will inform how hundreds of billions of dollars in federal funding are allocated to more than 100 programs, including Medicaid, Head Start, block grant programs for community mental health services, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.
The recently released census data shows Hawaii ranked 24th in the nation in terms of population change, with a 7% increase in the overall population, according to highlights from the Hawaii State Data Center. The growth rate closely approximates that experienced by the country as a whole, which saw 7.4% population growth since 2010.
“Between 2010 and 2020, the U.S. population grew an average rate of 0.71% per year,” the report states. "Three states, West Virginia, Mississippi, and Illinois, lost population, and Utah had the fastest growth rate in the past 10 years.”
The average annual growth rate for Hawaii in the years between the 2010 and 2020 census was 0.68%, according to the report. That was significantly lower than the 2000-2010 growth rate, which averaged 1.16% annually.
“Hawaii’s population ranked 40th among the 50 states and District of Columbia, which was also Hawaii’s ranking after the 2010 census,” the report states.
While Hawaii held its place nationally, both the country and the state experienced the slowest population growth in decades, according to the report. Yet although the nation’s population growth was just slightly higher than the 7.3% growth experienced between 1930 and 1940, Hawaii had its slowest decade for population growth in state history.
“The 2020 census was the second decennial count in which Hawaii’s population growth was slower than the U.S. average, although the difference was modest—0.4 percentage points lower,” the report states.
While some data has been released, that used for determining legislative districts isn’t due until mid August, according to the report.
The state is still awaiting that data before moving forward with redistricting, according to Ballotpedia.