The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2012 National, State and County population characteristics Thursday (June 13), and DBEDT has refined the data to offer a few factoids about Hawaii:

• Asians (alone or in combination) accounted for 56.9 percent of the state total population — ranking it No. 1 in the nation in terms of shares of Asians in total population. California was second with 15.8 percent.

• Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders accounted for 26.2 percent of Hawaii’s total population. Hawaii County had the largest share.

• Whites accounted for 43 percent of the state total population — placing Hawaii on the bottom in terms of shares of this race group in the total population, with Washington, D.C., ranked second lowest having 44.8 percent of its population in this category.

• Hawaii had 48,532 people with a black or African American racial background. There were also 36,408 people who were American Indian and Alaska Native.

• The population aged 65 years and above accounted for 15.1 percent — ranking us ninth in the nation — while persons 85 years of age and above shared 2.5 percent of the total population — fifth place in the nation.   

• Hawaii’s population aged 65 years and above increased by 4.1 percent while our total population increased 1 percent a year during the same period. 

• Hawaii’s total population consisted of 50.4 percent males and 49.6 percent females.   

• The mixed-race population in Hawaii was 23 percent.

• The school age population (5-17 years) decreased by 1,399. 

Photo courtesy photoskate.

—Chad Blair