Hawaii Island's civic anchor, shaped by volcano country and union roots
The Big Island's largest metro blends Native Hawaiian communities, Japanese-American working-class neighborhoods, and a university town in Hilo — a mix that has delivered Democrats double-digit margins in most statewide contests.
| Group | Hilo-Kailua, HI | National |
|---|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 30.8% | 57.4% |
Multiracial / Other | 29.9% | 4.0% |
▶Asian(6) | 23.3% | 6.0% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(16) | 11.4% | 19.3% |
▶Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander(6) | 3.6% | 0.2% |
▶Black / African American(9) | 0.6% | 12.2% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(8) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.4% | 0.9% |
Catholic-Evangelical edge: +21.1pp (vs national 4.5pp). A strongly Catholic-leaning religious profile, which nationally correlates with Democratic-leaning urban and suburban communities.
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents | US Pop | US Adherents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18.9% | 46.2% | — | — | |
| 11.5% | 28.2% | — | — | |
| 8.4% | 20.6% | — | — | |
LDS (Mormon) | 5.0% | 12.2% | — | — |
| 1.9% | 4.6% | — | — | |
| 0.1% | 0.4% | — | — | |
Non-religiousPopulation | 59.2% | — | — | — |
Who lives in the Hilo-Kailua, HI metro area? 720,496 residents across 4 counties.
27% of adults hold a bachelor's degree — 6pp below the national average. Places with similar education levels vote R+3 on average nationally.
Scale, voting-age share, and this geography's footprint inside the national electorate.
Income, attainment, and ownership indicators that often shape coalition structure and turnout behavior.
Age structure, language use, and nativity signals that explain how this geography differs from state and nation.
| Offices | Margin A | Margin B | Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| President vs Senate | D+28.3 | D+39.7 | 11.4pp |