Census: Oahu's population shrank last year, Big Island's grew

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Oahu might seem crowded these days, especially during the morning commute.

But new Census figures show the island's population actually shrank in 2016.

It's the first time since 2010 Oahu's population has declined, though the island's annual growth has slowed considerably in recent years.

According to the Census figures, Oahu's population was 992,605 in 2016. That's a drop of 6,109 people from the year before.

Since 2010, Oahu's population has grown 4.1 percent.

That's the second-smallest percentage in the state, behind Kalawao County, and comes as the island is seeing an increase in out-migration to the mainland.

Also in recent years, the state has seen its number of military residents and their dependents drop.

The Big Island, meanwhile, has seen the biggest population growth in the state.

Hawaii County's population grew 7.2 percent from 2010 to 2016 -- or by more than 13,000 people.

And Hilo was among five "micro-areas" nationally that saw the largest population growth in 2016, compared to the year before.

The fastest-growing county in the nation is San Juan County Utah, following by two counties in Texas.

Maricopa County in Arizona saw the nation's largest population gains from 2015 to 2016.

The county gained about 222 people a day on average, the Census showed.

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