The U.S. Census Bureau’s latest figures for Hawaii are proof that the state’s high cost of living, fueled by high taxes and too many regulations, is continuing to drive residents to more affordable places on the mainland, according to Grassroot President Keli‘i Akina.
“Hawaii has logged an overall population decline in five of the past six years, dwindling by almost 22,500 since 2020,” he said. “This is yet another sign of the affordability crisis that Hawaii residents deal with every day.”
Akina noted that according to data released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau, Hawaii lost a net total of 2,132 people in fiscal 2025, bringing its total population to 1,432,820 as of July 1, 2025 — about 0.15% less than it was on July 1, 2024.
During that same time period, he said, only Vermont and Puerto Rico lost a larger percentage of their populations.
Most of Hawaii’s population loss came from people leaving Hawaii for other U.S. states. The Census Bureau calculated that 8,876 people migrated from Hawaii to somewhere else in the United States. Hawaii did, however, see small net gains in international migration and natural population growth, which is the difference in births and deaths.
Akina said he hopes the 2026 Legislature “takes this information to heart” and does not pass any new taxes, fees or regulations.
“Too many of us already know friends or family members who left Hawaii for less-expensive pastures,” he said, “and I worry that the exodus will continue if our state and county lawmakers do not get serious about reducing our cost of living.”
