The Transplantification of Hawaii

Hawaii transplants: "Lost"'s Matthew Fox and his family live on Oahu and Oprah Winfrey owns a chunk of Maui

Pacific Business News just reported that a recent survey conducted by local research firm SMS Hawaii has revealed that Hawaii's population is now about equally split between people who were born here and transplants who moved here.

Of the 2,500 people surveyed, 52% said they were born here, down from 59% in 1998. On the neighbor islands, transplants account for the majority; on Maui, they make up 57% of population. Transplants are more likely to be white and younger than residents who were born here, though apparently, income and education among the two groups are more or less on par.

Hersh Singer of SMS theorizes that this population shift is caused not only by the immigration of transplants, but by the emigration of Hawaii-born folks due to ridiculously high housing costs and lower paying jobs. (In fact, there is a saying here that Hawaii boasts New York prices and Midwest wages. Bah humbug.) I theorize that this shift is in part the result of a whole lotta Hollywood bigwigs and Internet millionaires snapping up all of our beachfront property. I mean, if you're going to come and live large here anyway, ya might as well make a film while you're here...whaddya say?

>> Hawaii: Home of the transplants [Pacific Business News, 1/9/06]

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