Census: Hawaii's older population grew by 25 percent in 6 years

HAWAII (HawaiiNewsNow) - Some 17 percent of Hawaii residents are 65 and older, a figure that underscores the graying of the state's population, Census estimates show.

The figures show that Hawaii saw a 25 percent increase in the number of residents 65 and older from 2010 to 2016.

The population of older residents grew by nearly 49,000 over the six-year period, the Census said, totaling nearly 245,000 statewide.

Experts have been predicting a silver tsunami in the islands for years, as Baby Boomers age and retire.

In fact, Hawaii is now ranked the best state for retirement, according to Forbes. In addition, more seniors in Hawaii live past the age of 65 compared to anywhere else in the United States.

Some islands are seeing larger increases in the percentage of older residents.

From 2010 to 2016, the average annual growth rate for the older community was 5.7 percent for the Big Island, where nearly 1 in 5 individuals are 65 and up. Comparably, Maui only saw a 5.4 percent increase.

The population of elderly in Kauai went up by nearly 4 percent and in Honolulu by nearly 3 percent.

Meanwhile, the median age for the state is 38.6 years -- the same as it was in 2010.

The Big Island has the highest median age, at 42.2 years. Oahu has the lowest, at 37.4 years.

Copyright 2017 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.