HONOLULU (AP) — The number of poor families in Hawaii has risen in the past decade even though more households reported making more money, the U.S. Census Bureau reports.
According to 2000 figures, there were 22,101 families, or 7.6 percent, at or below the poverty level in Hawaii, up from 16,053, or 6 percent, in 1990, the bureau reported last week.
A majority of Hawaii households, 20.6 percent, reported total income between $50,000 and $74,999 in 2000, the same as in 1990. But the number of households reporting income above $75,000 a year increased, while those making less than $50,000 decreased, according to the Census figures.
The Census figures—covering social, economic and housing data based on answers to the long-form questionnaire distributed in 2000—also detail the rising cost of living in Hawaii.
“The middle class is largely staying intact and a significant proportion is moving up,” said Paul Brewbaker, an economist with Bank of Hawaii. “But there are people being left behind. There are some of the poor who are getting poorer.”
