Population Served

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For 130 years, workers were brought from others countries to work on the sugar plantation. As a result, Hamakua is a culturally diverse population with Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Hispanic, Native Hawaiians and other ethnic groups.

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 7,828 residents live in the Hamakua District, an increase of 10% since the 1990 census. 44.4 percent of our residents listed Asian/Pacific Islander as their primary race/ethnicity followed by 43.9 percent Caucasians, 9.8 percent Hispanic, and less than one percent Native American and African American. Many of the Caucasians are of Portuguese descent. Those of Japanese and Filipino descent continue to teach the younger generations their native language. As a result, 24 percent speak a language other than English, and half of these (mostly seniors) have limited English language ability. The service area is home to many recent immigrants, primarily Filipino and a smaller number of Marshallese.

Approximately 26 percent of residents are under age 18 and 17 percent are over age 65. Hamakua has the third highest elderly population in the state.

Unfortunately Hamakua is still plagued by high poverty, unemployment, and underemployment as a result of the region's main employer, Hamakua Sugar Company, going bankrupt a decade ago. The district's unemployment rate and percent living in poverty is twice the State average. The number of people on food stamps is 1.5 times that of the State. The Department of Health's (DOH) Primary Care Needs Assessment Data Book 2001, compares socioeconomic statistics by region and ranks them according to greatest need. Hamakua is ranked fifth in the State, an increase from seventh in 1999.