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FACT BRIEF

Does Clark County have the nation’s fastest-growing Native Hawaiian-Pacific Islander population?

By Todd Butterworth
View this fact brief on The Nevada Independent
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YES

According to 2021 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, the fastest growth of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations was in Clark County, which, though relatively small, grew to 1%. Clark county includes Las Vegas, which some refer to as the “ninth island” due to its popularity among Native Hawaiians.

The greatest decline in NHPI residents was in Honolulu. Some attribute the migration to the high cost of living in Hawaii, where residents spend on average about 42% of their income on rent, the highest of any state.

Census estimates in 2011 reported approximately 296,400 Native Hawaiians living in Hawaii and about 221,600 in the continental U.S. A decade later, those numbers flipped, with about 309,800 Native Hawaiians in Hawaii and 370,000 in other states. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Census Clark County census data
KTNV Native Hawaiians flock to Las Vegas for affordable living
University of Nevada, Las Vegas How Las Vegas Became the 9th Island: Hawaiians and The California Hotel
Providence Business News Highest relative rent spending by state
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The Nevada Independent
The Nevada Independent is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news and opinion website founded in 2017 by veteran political journalist and commentator Jon Ralston. The site and its supporting channels are focused on ethical, unbiased and transparent journalism. In general, we aim to gather and disseminate important public information and increase civic engagement. We are supported by corporate donations, memberships, event ticket sales and sponsorships and foundation grants. We disclose all our members and donors. Donors have no influence over our content, ever. The Nevada Independent is the dba for Nevada News Bureau, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit founded in 2010 by Elizabeth Thompson, who now serves as one of The Nevada Independent's managing directors and its Editor.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.