Hawaii is the only island state of the United States of America and the only one that is outside the North American continent. It is also the only US state that is located in the tropics.
Hawaii state is composed of 137 volcanic islands in total, with eight major islands, although not all the islands are inhabited.
So with all of these unique attributes, how does the state of Hawaii compare to the other states of the US in terms of size and population?
Which State Is The Same Size As Hawaii?
The state that is closest in geographical size to Hawaii is Maryland. Hawaii is spread across 10,931 square miles, while Maryland is more than 12,400 square miles.
In terms of population, however, there is no comparison. More than 6 million people live in the state of Maryland, and only 1.4 million people live in the islands of Hawaii.
The population density for Maryland is 594 people per square mile, and in Hawaii this number is just 188 people per square mile.
Although the island of Oahu has a density of 1,650 people per square mile, making it the most populous of the islands.
It should be noted that as the state of Hawaii is made up of 137 islands, most of which are uninhabited, most of the people there tend to live and work on the bigger islands.
For other comparisons, the state of Hawaii could fit into Colorado nine and a half times or into Nebraska seven times.
However, you could fit ten Rhode Islands into Hawaii and still have room left over.
What Size Is The Big Island Of Hawaii?
All the Hawaiian islands have been formed by millennia of volcanic activity. But, the island of Hawaii is the biggest, and also the youngest of the 8 islands.
It contains 63% of the archipelago’s land mass, being over 4,000 square miles.
Due to its size, it is commonly referred to as the Big Island or the Island of Hawaii to help distinguish it from the state of Hawaii, which includes all the islands.
And it is certainly a big island, the third largest in Polynesia. Only the two islands of New Zealand are larger.
If you want to drive around the Big Island, it is approximately 220 miles. The island has five volcanic mountains, two of which, Mauna Loa and Kilauea, are the most active.
They still contribute to the island’s growth, and Kilauea has been erupting consistently since 1983.
Is Hawaii The Smallest State?
No, there are 7 other states in the US that are geographically smaller than the state of Hawaii.
Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Vermont are all geographically smaller than Hawaii.
However, Hawaii has the smallest county in the United States. Kalawao County is just 13 square miles, and it is considered the smallest administrative unit in the US. It has a population of just 88 people.
In terms of population, there are eleven states that have a lower population than Hawaii. The least populous state is Wyoming, followed by Vermont.
However, Hawaii is experiencing negative population growth of around 0.34%.
West Virginia has the worst negative growth rate, but Alaska, Illinois and Louisiana are among other states that have experienced population decline. Hawaii is the 41st most populous state in the US.
What State Is The Same Size As Maui?
Maui is the second-largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago. Its land mass is around 727 square miles, and it is the 17th largest island in the United States.
Maui is the largest of the four islands of Maui County which includes Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoʻolaweich, the latter being unpopulated.
Maui’s population is approximately 145,000 people, making it the third highest in the islands with a density of 162 people per square mile.
As a comparison, Rhode Island is the smallest US state by land area at 1,214 square miles.
It has just over 1 million residents, with a population density of more than a thousand people per square mile.
Which State Has The Same Population As Hawaii?
Hawaii has a population of approximately 1,400,000 people. It is the state with the highest percentage of people of Asian origin, and only 10% of the population are native Hawaiian.
In contrast, New Hampshire has a population of 1,360,000 people.
The majority, 90%, of the people living in New Hampshire are ethnically white and the remaining percentage are Hispanic, Asian, African American, or Native American.
Hawaii makes up 0.43% of the total population of the United States of America, while New Hampshire contributes 0.41% of the population.
Comparing Hawaii’s population with some other states, Hawaii’s population would fit into California 28 times or into Texas 20 times.
It may be unfair to try and compare a state that is mostly uninhabited islands to a state that is geographically larger and has a more defined area.
But we hope it helps to give you a clear sense of scale.
What Time Is Sunset In Maui?