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Where do the smartest people in Hawaii live? New census data has answers

STAR-ADVERTISER / FEB. 7, 2006

In this 2006 file photo, homes are shown at Portlock point.

Where do the smartest people in Hawaii live? How about those who make the most money, or speak foreign languages?

The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and the Hawaii State Data Center have the answers.

The agencies released data from five years of surveys, covering just under 10 percent of the population from 2010 to 2014.

The survey makes it possible to look at census data down to neighborhoods, although the margin of error can be quite high in smaller neighborhoods.

Here are some of the highlights:

Smartest people (population with a bachelors degree or higher)

The neighborhoods with the highest percentage of people with a college education are all on Oahu.

In order, they are the Schofield Forest Reserve, where it’s suggested that all of the estimated 91 people who live there have a college degree; Waialae Iki (75.4 percent); Portlock (73.8 percent); East Manoa (71.6 percent) and Kahauiki Street in Kalihi, (estimated population 1,074) where the survey suggests 70 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

On a side note, if you want to find the greatest concentration of people with at least a high school degree , go to military bases on Oahu, where in most neighborhoods, 100 percent of the adults have graduated from high school.

Richest neighborhoods (highest median income)

No surprises here, unless you are really snobby and think your neighborhood should be ranked higher.

The neighborhoods with the richest residents are: Round Top Drive-Tantalus ($183,958), Waialae Iki ($173,864), Portlock ($145,250), Judd Hillside-Lowrey Avenue ($144,219), Maunawili ($140,038) and Ko Olina Resort ($139,167).

The areas with the highest income area also among the areas with the highest median value of homes. The median price of an owner-occupied home in the above neighborhoods, except for Maunawili and Ko Olina, is over $1 million.

People who speak a language other than English

If you want to hear people speaking other languages, the census data suggests you go to Mayor Wright Housing (68.4 percent), Linapuni Street (68.3 percent), Umi Street (68.2 percent) and Chinatown (66.2 percent). Hanauma Bay, with an estimated population of 2, is actually ranked highest. But that census-designated neighborhood may be too small to be really be part of the ranking.

For more information on the American Community Survey go to: census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/data.html

For an analysis of Hawaii data go to: census.hawaii.gov/acs/acs-2014/

27 responses to “Where do the smartest people in Hawaii live? New census data has answers”

  1. MillionMonkeys says:

    Oh hoo, I want to live with smart people who speak multiple languages. Mayor Wright Housing or Hanauma Bay? Hmmm???

  2. mikethenovice says:

    Are we talking about school-book smart with no common sense, or are we talking about the street smart people who have learned it just by living day to day?

  3. mikethenovice says:

    I know that my puppies are smarter than I am. During the day time, they hold out from eating the dog food in hopes of human food while we eat together. At night, they better eat the dog food since no human is around to offer any human scraps. Hence, why the dog bowl is clean in the morning.

  4. Bdpapa says:

    What a stupid thing! Whoever told you educated people are smart? The smart people are those that know their limitations and work with it to have a wholesome existence.

  5. lokela says:

    Almost like segregation happening here. That’s just the way it is and always will be.

  6. Mike174 says:

    Observing the results suggest that this study is a complete waste of time & $$.

  7. Kriya says:

    It is questionable to equate having a degree with being “smart.” I’ve got a Ph.D. and I know people smarter than me about certain things. I also know other people with Ph.D.’s who are just plain foolish. There are lots of different kinds of intelligence and ways of being smart; equating educational degrees with intelligence isn’t one of them.

  8. wrightj says:

    I want to live in Schofield Forest Reserve.

  9. Happy_024 says:

    My dog does same too, he’s a smart boy :]

  10. mikethenovice says:

    It takes a smart person to design a website that is even slower than the existing one before. Hint. Star Advertiser.

  11. Tahitigirl55 says:

    I thought the people who think they are the riches and would win the snobby are Lanikai and Kailua. They always get what they want.

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