U S C E N S U S B U R E A U

American Community Survey Reports

U.S. Department of Commerce 

Economics and Statistics Administration 

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU 

ACS-06

Issued May 2007

Helping You Make Informed Decisions

The American Community— 

Pacific Islanders: 2004
Acknowledgments This report was drafted for the U.S. Census Bureau’s Racial Statistics

Branch by staff of the Pew Hispanic Center, Washington, DC

(Roberto Suro, Rakesh Kocchar, Jeffrey Passel, Gabriel

Escobar, Sonya Tafoya, Richard Fry, Dulce Benevides, and

Michelle Wunsch). Edward Spar and Frederick J. Cavanaugh of

Sabre Systems, Inc. provided initial review of the report.

Direction for the report was provided by Jorge H. del Pinal, former

Assistant Division Chief, Special Population Statistics, Population

Division. Overall direction was provided by Howard Hogan,

Associate Director for Demographic Programs, and Enrique J.

Lamas, Chief, Population Division.

The report was finalized by Nicholas A. Jones, Population

Division. Within the Population Division, Frank B. Hobbs and

Claudette E. Bennett provided subject matter review and guidance, Letha L. Clinton and Maryam Asi provided principal statistical assistance, and Anika Juhn and Pedro Martinez prepared the

maps. Principal editorial review and guidance was provided by

Marjorie F. Hanson, Data Integration Division. In addition, Lisa M.

Blumerman, Kenneth R. Bryson, and Deborah H. Griffin of the

American Community Survey Office provided helpful comments on

this report.

Dale Garrett, under the guidance of Alfredo Navarro and

Anthony G. Tersine, Jr. of the Decennial Statistical Studies

Division, conducted sampling review.

Jan Sweeney, Theodora Forgione, and Jamie Peters of the

Administrative and Customer Services Division, Walter C. Odom,

Chief, provided publications and printing management, graphics

design and composition, and editorial review for print and electronic

media. General direction and production management were provided

by Wanda Cevis, Chief, Publications Services Branch.
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 1

INTRODUCTION

This report presents a portrait of

the Native Hawaiian and Other

Pacific Islander population in the

United States.1 It is part of the

American Community Survey (ACS)

report series. Information on demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics in the tables and

figures is based on data from the

2004 ACS Selected Population

Profiles and Detailed Tables.2 The

data for the Pacific Islander population are based on responses to the

2004 ACS question on race, which

asked all respondents to report one

or more races.3

The 2004 ACS estimated the number of Pacific Islanders to be about

743,000, or 0.26 percent of the U.S.

household population (Table 1).4

The number of individuals who

reported Pacific Islander as their

only race was about 404,000, or

0.14 percent of the population.

About another 339,000 reported

their race as Pacific Islander and

one or more other races. The Pacific

Islander-alone-or-in-combination

population included about 90,000

Hispanics, and the Pacific Islanderalone population included about

39,000 Hispanics.5

Data are reported for both the

Pacific Islander-alone and the Pacific

Islander-alone-or-in-combination

populations. In this report,

respondents who reported Pacific

Islander and no other race are

included in the single-race or Pacific

Islander-alone population (i.e.,

including those who reported their

race as one or more detailed Pacific

Islander groups but no non-Pacific

Islander race). Respondents who

reported Pacific Islander either alone

or with one or more other race categories are included in the Pacific

Islander-alone-or-in-combination

population. The report also includes

data for the non-Hispanic segments

of these populations.

The term “Pacific Islander” is used

to refer to the Native Hawaiian and

The American Community—

Pacific Islanders: 2004

Table 1.

Household Population by Race and Hispanic Origin: 2004

(Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Race and Hispanic origin

Population

Percent of

total

population

Margin of

error1 (±)

Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285,691,501 100.00 (X)

White alone, not Hispanic . . . . . . . . . ........ 192,362,875 67.33 0.01

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ 403,832 0.14 0.01

Not Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364,656 0.13 0.01

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ 39,176 0.01 –

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

alone or in combination . . . . . . . . ......... 743,314 0.26 0.01

Not Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 653,707 0.23 0.01

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ 89,607 0.03 –

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

in combination . . . . . . . . . . ............... 339,482 0.12 0.01

Not Hispanic . . . . . . . . .................. 289,051 0.10 0.01

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50,431 0.02 –

(X) Not applicable.

– Rounds to 0.00.

1 This number, when added to and subtracted from the estimate, produces the 90-percent

confidence interval around the estimate.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles,

S0201.

1 In the federal government, the category

“Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander”

refers to people having origins in any of the

original peoples of the Pacific Islands (for

example, Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or Tonga). It

includes people who indicated their race or

races as “Native Hawaiian,” “Guamanian or

Chamorro,” “Samoan,” or “Other Pacific

Islander,” or wrote in entries such as Tahitian,

Mariana Islander, or Chuukese. 2 The 2004 ACS datasets, including

Selected Population Profiles and Detailed

Tables, are available online in the American

FactFinder at <http://factfinder.census.gov>. 3 For further information on the content

and format of the questionnaire, see

<www.census.gov/acs/www/Downloads

/SQuest03.pdf>. 4 This report discusses data for the United

States, including the 50 states and the

District of Columbia; it does not include data

for Puerto Rico.

5 The estimates in this report are based

on responses from a sample of households.

Estimates may vary from the actual values

because of sampling error and other factors.

All comparative statements have undergone

statistical testing and are significant at the

90-percent confidence level unless otherwise

noted.
Other Pacific Islander-alone population and the term “non-Hispanic

White” is used to refer to the

White-alone, not Hispanic population. Similarly, references to population groups such as Samoan refer

to the single-race or “alone” segments of those populations.

The Pacific Islander population is

not homogeneous; it includes

many groups that differ in language and culture, and they primarily represent people of Polynesian,

Micronesian, and Melanesian backgrounds. People who reported one

or more Pacific Islander groups on

the ACS question on race, such as

Samoan or Tongan, are included as

Pacific Islanders. 

Polynesians numbered about

260,000 and include Native

Hawaiians, Samoans, Tongans, and

other Polynesian groups (Table 2).

Micronesians numbered about

100,000 and include primarily

Guamanians or Chamorros and

other Micronesian groups such as

Mariana Islanders, Marshall

Islanders, and Palauans.

Melanesians numbered about

23,000 and are predominantly

Fijian and include other Melanesian

groups such as Papua New

Guineans.

Native Hawaiians were the largest

Pacific Islander group, with a population of 155,000 or 38 percent of

the Pacific Islander-alone population. Guamanians or Chamorros,

with a population of 68,000, represented about 17 percent of the

Pacific Islander-alone population.

Samoans, with a population of

61,000, represented about 15 percent of the Pacific Islander-alone

population.6 These three groups—

Native Hawaiians, Guamanians or

Chamorros, and Samoans—

accounted for about 70 percent of

the Pacific Islander population. In

the future, as the ACS goes to full

implementation and multiple-year

estimates are produced, more

information about additional

groups may be available.

HIGHLIGHTS

The majority of Pacific Islanders

resided in two states in 2004—

Hawaii and California. Most of the

Pacific Islander-alone population

lived in California (about 30 percent), with about another 26 percent in Hawaii. In comparison,

Pacific Islanders who reported one

or more races were most likely to

live in Hawaii (about 37 percent),

followed by California (about 

23 percent).

Compared with the non-Hispanic

White population, the Pacific

Islander population had a larger

proportion of younger people and

a smaller proportion of older people. Pacific Islanders were more

likely never to have married than

non-Hispanic Whites, and a larger

proportion of their households

were family households. Compared

with non-Hispanic White women,

Pacific Islander women were more

likely to have given birth in the

past 12 months.7

Most Pacific Islanders were high

school graduates and about 1 of

every 7 had a bachelor’s degree or

more education. Compared with

non-Hispanic White workers, Pacific

Islanders were less likely to be

2 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 2.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Household

Population by Detailed Group: 2004

(Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Detailed group

Population

Percent of

Pacific

Islanderalone

population

Margin of

error1 (±)

Native Hawaiian and Other

Pacific Islander alone . . . . . . . . . . 403,832 100.0 (X)

Polynesian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ 256,406 63.5 5.12

Native Hawaiian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154,666 38.3 4.43

Samoan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ........... 60,520 15.0 3.14

Tongan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ............ 39,052 9.7 2.41

Other Polynesian . . . . . . . . .............. 2,168 0.5 0.41

Micronesian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101,335 25.1 4.10

Guamanian or Chomorro . . . . . . . . ....... 68,336 16.9 3.49

Other Micronesian . . . . . . . . . . . .......... 32,999 8.2 2.49

Melanesian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22,912 5.7 2.11

Fijian . . . . . . . . ......................... 22,840 5.7 2.10

Other Melanesian . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 – 0.03

Other Pacific Islander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,179 5.7 1.43

(X) Not applicable.

– Rounds to 0.0.

1 This number, when added to and subtracted from the estimate, produces the 90-percent

confidence interval around the estimate.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Detailed Tables, B02007.

7 The summary statistics mentioned in

these highlights often refer to different segments of the Pacific Islander-alone population.

For example, birth rates are estimated for

women 15 to 50 years old, and educational

attainment refers to the population aged 25

and older. The figures in the report contain

information on the universe for each statistic.

6 There is no statistical difference

between the percentages of Guamanians or

Chamorros and Samoans in the total Pacific

Islander-alone population.
employed in management, professional, and related occupations and

more likely to be employed in

sales and office occupations.

About 1 of every 5 Pacific Islanders

lived below the poverty level,

compared with about 1 of every 10

non-Hispanic Whites. Pacific

Islanders were more likely than

non-Hispanic Whites to rent their

homes. Pacific Islanders generally

spoke only English at home or

spoke English very well. Most

Pacific Islanders were U.S. citizens,

whether by birth or naturalization. 

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 3

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a new

nationwide survey designed to provide reliable,

timely information for local communities on how

they are changing. This survey is a critical element

in the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2010 Decennial Census

Program. The ACS collects detailed information on

the characteristics of the population and housing

on an ongoing sample basis. These data previously

were collected in census years in conjunction with

the decennial census. Since the ACS is conducted

every year, rather than once every 10 years, it will

provide more current data throughout the decade.

Fully implemented in 2005, the ACS is the largest

household survey in the United States, with an

annual sample size of about 3 million housing unit

addresses throughout the country. Release of

annual estimates from the ACS began in 2006 for

all geographic areas with a population of 65,000 or

more; 3-year period estimates will begin in 2008

for areas and populations as small as 20,000; and

5-year period estimates will start in 2010 for census tracts, block groups, and small populations. All

estimates, including the 3-year and 5-year period

estimates, are planned to be updated every year.

During the testing program (2000 to 2004), the

ACS sampled approximately 800,000 addresses per

year and produced estimates for the United States,

states, and essentially all places, counties, and metropolitan areas with at least 250,000 people.

The data contained in this report are based on the

ACS sample interviewed in 2004. The population

represented (the population universe) is limited to

the household population and excludes the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and

other group quarters. For information on the ACS

sample design and other ACS topics, visit

<http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes

/exp_acs2004.html>.

The Census Bureau’s population estimates program

releases official population estimates of the U.S.

resident population by sex, age, race, and Hispanic

origin. For information on the Census Bureau’s population estimates program, visit <www.census.gov

/popest/estimates.php>. The ACS estimates in this

report pertain to the household population only

(i.e., the total population, excluding the group

quarters population). Therefore, the ACS estimate

of the Pacific Islander population shown in this

report should not be viewed as the official measure

of this population.

What Is the American Community Survey?
4 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

The 2004 American Community Survey (ACS) followed the federal standards for collecting and presenting data on race and Hispanic origin established by the Office of Management and Budget

(OMB) in 1997. In accordance with these standards,

which mandate that race and Hispanic origin are

two separate and distinct concepts, the ACS asked

both a Hispanic-origin question and a race question.* The first question asked respondents if they

were Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino. The next question asked respondents to indicate the race or races

they considered themselves to be.**

The questions about race and Hispanic origin on

the 2004 ACS are comparable with those on 

Census 2000. In both, the Hispanic-origin question

preceded the race question, and respondents were

asked to select one or more race categories. The

2004 ACS question on race included 15 separate

response categories and two areas where respondents could write in a more specific race group. In

addition to White, Black or African American,

American Indian or Alaska Native, and Some Other

Race, 7 of the 15 response categories are Asian and

4 are Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. OMB

recognizes five standard race categories: White,

Black or African American, American Indian or

Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other

Pacific Islander. The response categories and writein answers can be combined to create the five OMB

race categories plus Some Other Race, as well as all

combinations of two or more races. The “Some

Other Race” category was included in Census 2000

and also in the 2004 ACS for respondents who

were unable to identify with 1 of the 5 OMB race

categories.

Because the 2004 ACS allowed respondents to

report more than one race, two basic ways of defining a race group are possible. A group such as

Pacific Islander may be defined as those who

reported Pacific Islander and no other race (the

race-alone or single-race concept) or as those who

reported Pacific Islander regardless of whether they

also reported another race (the race-alone-or-incombination concept).

Race and Hispanic origin are treated as two separate

and distinct concepts in the federal statistical system. People in each race group may be either

Hispanic or not Hispanic, and people of Hispanic

origin may be any race. The Census Bureau uses a

variety of approaches for showing data on race and

ethnicity. The text of this report compares the population and housing characteristics for the single-race

Pacific Islander population with those of the Whitealone, not Hispanic population. However, this does

not imply that this approach is the Census Bureau’s

preferred method for analyzing data on race. In the

graphics and tables of this report, several

approaches for measuring race are shown. These

approaches illustrate the overlapping concepts for

measuring race. The specific measures shown are: 

1) the single-race Pacific Islander population; 2) the

single-race Pacific Islander, not Hispanic population;

3) the Pacific Islander-alone-or-in-combination population; and 4) the Pacific Islander-alone-or-incombination, not Hispanic population.

Because Hispanics may be any race, data in this

report for Pacific Islanders overlap with data for

Hispanics. Data from the ACS show that, in 2004,

Hispanic Pacific Islanders composed approximately

10 percent of the single-race Pacific Islander

population.

Understanding Data on Race and Hispanic Origin From the 

2004 American Community Survey

* For further information, see

<www.whitehouse.gov/omb/fedreg/1997standards.html>.

** Race and Hispanic origin, as used by the Census Bureau,

reflect self-identification by individuals according to the group or

groups with which they most closely identify. The categories are

sociopolitical constructs that include racial, ethnic, and national

origin groups. For more details, see <www.census.gov/acs

/www/Downloads/2004/usedata/Subject_Definitions.pdf>.
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 5

• In 2004, Pacific Islanders were

most likely to live in either

Hawaii or California. Most of the

Pacific Islander-alone population

lived in California (about 30 percent), with about another 26 percent in Hawaii. In comparison,

Pacific Islanders who reported

one or more races were most

likely to live in Hawaii (about 

37 percent), followed by

California (about 23 percent).

• Several other states also shared

relatively larger proportions of

the Pacific Islander-alone population and the Pacific Islanderalone-or-in-combination population (Washington, Texas, Utah,

and Nevada).8

• Combined, these six states represented about three-fourths of

the Pacific Islander-alone

population, as well as the Pacific

Islander-alone-or-in-combination

population.

The majority of Pacific Islanders lived in two states—Hawaii and California.

Figure 1.

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 

Household Population by State: 2004 

(Percent distribution of Pacific Islander population. Data based on sample limited to 

the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

All other states 26.4 California 30.3

Washington 5.7 Hawaii 26.2

Texas 4.9

Utah 3.4

Nevada 3.2

Pacific Islander alone 

or in combination

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population 

Profiles, S0201.

All other states 24.9 Hawaii 37.4

California 23.4

Washington 5.1

Texas 3.3

Nevada 3.2

Utah 2.7

Pacific Islander alone 

8 The proportion of single-race Pacific

Islanders in Nevada was not significantly

larger than the proportion of Pacific

Islanders in Oregon or Virginia; the proportion of single-race Pacific Islanders in Utah

was not significantly larger than the proportion of Pacific Islanders in Virginia (not

shown).
6 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• The Pacific Islander-alone population represented about 

0.14 percent of the U.S. household population, and the Pacific

Islander-alone-or-in-combination

population represented about

0.26 percent.

• The state of Hawaii had the

largest proportion of single-race

Pacific Islanders in its household

population (about 9 percent), as

well as Pacific Islanders who

reported one or more races

(about 23 percent).

• States in the West (including

Hawaii, Utah, Nevada, Alaska,

Washington, California, and

Oregon) tended to have relatively

larger proportions of Pacific

Islanders in their populations.9

Hawaii had a larger proportion of Pacific Islanders than any other state.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201, and 

Detailed Tables, B02001 and B02012.

U.S. percent 0.26

22.64 (HI)

0.40 to 1.04

0.20 to 0.39

Less than 0.20

8.61 (HI)

0.40 to 0.60

0.20 to 0.39

Less than 0.20

U.S. percent 0.14

Figure 2.

Percent Pacific Islander by State: 2004

(Pacific Islander-alone population, and Pacific Islander-alone-or-in-combination population, as a percent of state population. 

Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college 

dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

CA

0.35

NV

0.56

OR

0.25

UT

0.58

WA

0.38

HI

8.61

RI

0.49

AK

0.52

RI

0.53

CA

0.50

AK

1.04

AZ

0.20

NV

1.04 CO

0.22

OR

0.36

UT

0.85

ID

0.26

WA

0.63

HI

22.64

Pacific Islander alone or in combination

9 The proportion of single-race Pacific

Islanders in Oregon and the proportion of

Pacific Islanders who reported one or more

races in Idaho, Colorado, and Arizona were

not significantly higher than 0.2 percent.

Some of the states shown in the range 0.20

to 0.39 are not statistically different from

one or more states that are not shown.
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 7

• In 2004, Pacific Islanders had a

median age of 29.2 years, about

11 years younger than the

median age of the non-Hispanic

White population, 40.1 years.

• The Pacific Islander population

had a larger proportion of

young people and a smaller proportion of older people than the

non-Hispanic White population. 

• About 29 percent of Pacific

Islanders were children 

(under 18), compared with

about 22 percent of nonHispanic Whites. About 5 percent of Pacific Islanders were 

65 and older, compared with

about 15 percent of nonHispanic Whites.

Figure 3.

Selected Age Groups and Median Age: 2004 

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, 

college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Under 18 18 to 44 45 to 64 65 and older

Median age 

(years)

36.2

40.1

29.2

29.9

25.9

26.8

25.5

22.3

29.2

27.7

35.9

33.8

38.0

35.8

47.2

47.2

42.5

42.9

24.5

27.3

18.2

19.2

16.9

18.1

12.0

14.5

5.4

5.8

4.7

5.2

The median age of Pacific Islanders was about 11 years younger than that of 

non-Hispanic Whites.
8 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• In 2004, about 53 percent of

Pacific Islanders aged 15 and

older were married, compared

with about 57 percent of 

non-Hispanic Whites aged 15

and older.10

• Pacific Islanders (about 33 percent) were more likely than nonHispanic Whites (about 24 percent) never to have married.• About 1 of every 8 Pacific

Islanders was separated, widowed, or divorced, compared

with about 1 of every 5 nonHispanic Whites.

About one-third of Pacific Islanders had never married.

Figure 4.

Marital Status: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of population 15 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the 

population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, 

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Never married Married Separated Widowed Divorced

27.8

23.8

33.3

32.6

37.0

36.1

53.8

57.3

53.3

53.2

49.4

49.7

2.1

1.5

3.0

3.1

3.0

3.2

6.1

6.7

3.1

3.3

3.3

3.5

10.2

10.7

7.3

7.8

7.3

7.5

10 Differences between the age distributions of Pacific Islanders and non-Hispanic

Whites may affect marital status patterns.
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 9

• Pacific Islander women had a

higher fertility rate than nonHispanic White women.11

• About 78 of every 1,000 Pacific

Islander women aged 15 to 50

had given birth in the 12

months prior to being surveyed,

compared with about 50 of

every 1,000 non-Hispanic White

women aged 15 to 50.

• About 36 percent of Pacific

Islander mothers who had given

birth were unmarried, compared

with about 20 percent of nonHispanic White mothers.

Pacific Islander women were more likely to have given birth in the past 12 months than

non-Hispanic White women.

Figure 5.

Fertility: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population 

Profiles, S0201.

(Of every 1,000 women aged 15 to 50, the number who had given birth in the 

12 months preceding the survey, based on the race and Hispanic origin of the mother. 

Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population 

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information 

on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, 

see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Births per 1,000 women in the past 

12 months

Percent of 

women with a 

birth in the 

past 12 months 

who were 

unmarried

28.6

20.5

36.5

36.8

40.6

39.7

55.4

50.3

77.7

82.8

76.8

80.2

11 Of every 1,000 women aged 15 to 50,

the number who had given birth in the 12

months preceding the date of the survey,

whether in 2003 or 2004.
10 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• About 78 percent of Pacific

Islander households and about

66 percent of non-Hispanic

White households were family

households.12

• A similar proportion of Pacific

Islander households and nonHispanic White households were

maintained by married couples. 

• About 1 of every 5 Pacific

Islander households was a family maintained by a woman with

no husband present, compared

with about 1 of every 10 nonHispanic White households.

• Pacific Islander households consisted of 3.4 people on average,

compared with 2.5 people on

average in non-Hispanic White

households.

Pacific Islander households were more likely than non-Hispanic White households

to be family households.

Figure 6.

Household Type: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201, and Detailed Tables, B11001.

(Percent distribution. Household type is shown by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based on sample limited to 

the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For 

information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html) 

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Married couple

Female householder, 

no husband present

Male householder, 

no wife present Nonfamily households

Average

household

size

2.60

2.45

3.42

3.39

3.30

3.30

Family households

50.2

53.5

53.4

52.1

51.5

51.4

12.6

8.9

18.4

18.8

18.5

18.5

4.4

3.5

6.1

5.6

7.5

7.0

32.8

34.1

22.1

23.5

22.5

23.1

12 A household is a person or a group of

people who occupy a housing unit as their

current residence. A family household consists

of a householder and one or more people living together in the same household who are

related to the householder by birth, marriage,

or adoption. It may also include people

unrelated to the householder. There are three

types of family households in the survey data:

married couple, female householders with no

husband present, and male householders with

no wife present. In addition, there are nonfamily households, such as a person living

alone or with unrelated individuals. 
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 11

• About 10 percent of Pacific

Islanders aged 30 and older

were grandparents living in the

same household with their

coresident grandchildren

younger than 18. In comparison,

about 2 percent of non-Hispanic

Whites aged 30 and older were

grandparents living in the same

household with their coresident

grandchildren younger than 18.

• About 35 percent of Pacific

Islander grandparents who lived

with their coresident grandchildren were also responsible for

their care.

Pacific Islanders were more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to live with grandchildren.

Figure 7.

Responsibility for Grandchildren Under 18 Years: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of people 30 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in 

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone or in

combination, not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not Hispanic

Total

Percent with grandchildren 

in the household

Percent of grandparents responsible for 

coresident grandchildren

3.4

2.3

9.9

10.6

8.8

9.5

41.8

44.5

34.7

35.0

37.1

37.7
12 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• About 78 percent of Pacific

Islanders were native, compared

with about 96 percent of nonHispanic Whites.• In addition, about 7 percent of

Pacific Islanders were U.S. citizens through naturalization,

compared with about 2 percent

of non-Hispanic Whites.

About 8 of every 10 Pacific Islanders were native.13

Figure 8.

Nativity and Citizenship Status: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, 

college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and 

definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone or in

combination, not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not Hispanic

Total

Native Foreign born, 

naturalized citizen

Foreign born, 

not a citizen

88.0

96.2

78.1

78.7

87.0

87.0

5.0

2.1

6.9

6.8

4.3

4.3

7.0

1.7

15.0

14.5

8.7

8.6

13 Nativity is determined by U.S. citizenship status and place of birth. Natives are

those born in the United States, Puerto Rico,

or a U.S. island area (the U.S. Virgin Islands,

Guam, American Samoa, and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands) or born abroad of a U.S. citizen parent. All other individuals are considered

foreign born.
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 13

• About 62 percent of Pacific

Islanders aged 5 and older

spoke only English at home,

compared with about 94 percent

of non-Hispanic Whites aged 5

and older.

• About another 26 percent of

Pacific Islanders spoke a language other than English at

home and spoke English very

well, compared with about 

4 percent of non-Hispanic

Whites.

A majority of Pacific Islanders spoke only English at home or spoke English very well.

Figure 9.

Language Spoken at Home and English-Speaking Ability: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of population 5 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population 

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Only English at home

Non-English at home, 

English spoken 

"very well"

Non-English at home, 

English spoken less than 

"very well"

81.3

94.3

61.6

63.1

73.8

74.6

10.3

3.9

26.2

25.9

18.6

18.5

8.4

1.8

12.2

11.0

7.6

6.9
14 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• About 84 percent of Pacific

Islanders aged 25 and older

were high school graduates and

about 15 percent had a bachelor’s degree or more education.

• Among non-Hispanic Whites aged

25 and older, about 89 percent

were high school graduates and

about 30 percent had a bachelor’s degree or more education.

More than four-fifths of Pacific Islanders were high school graduates.

Figure 10.

Educational Attainment: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of population 25 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population 

living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Less than high school High school graduate or more

Bachelor's degree 

or more

 

16.1

11.4

16.1

14.0

14.7

13.4

83.9

88.6

83.9

86.0

85.3

86.6

27.0

29.7

15.4

15.8

18.3

18.8
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 15

• About 33 percent of civilian

employed Pacific Islanders aged

16 and older worked in sales

and office occupations, compared with about 27 percent of

civilian employed non-Hispanic

Whites aged 16 and older.

• About 20 percent of Pacific

Islander workers and about 

14 percent of non-Hispanic

White workers were in service

occupations.

• About 23 percent of Pacific

Islander workers and about 

38 percent of non-Hispanic

White workers were in management, professional, and related

occupations.14

Pacific Islanders were more likely to work in sales and office occupations

than in other occupations.

Figure 11.

Occupation: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent distribution of civilian employed population 16 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and 

exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality 

protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Management, 

professional, and 

related occupations 

Service 

occupations 

Sales and office 

occupations

Farming, 

fishing, and

forestry 

occupations

Construction, 

extraction, and

maintenance 

Production, 

transportation, 

and material 

moving

34.1

37.6

22.6

23.1

24.5

24.7

16.2

13.7

20.4

19.8

20.6

20.1

26.2

26.9

32.5

33.5

30.9

31.5

0.7

0.5

0.7

0.7

0.5

0.5

9.8

9.6

10.0

10.0

11.1

11.1

13.1

11.7

13.8

12.9

12.5

12.0

14 The percentage of Pacific Islanders who

worked in service occupations was not significantly different from the percentage who

worked in management, professional, and

related occupations.
16 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• The median income of Pacific

Islander households in the 12

months prior to being surveyed

was about $47,400. This was

similar to the median income of

non-Hispanic White households,

which was about $48,800.

The median incomes of Pacific Islander households and non-Hispanic White households

were similar.15

Figure 12.

Median Household Income: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population 

Profiles, S0201.

(Household income in the past 12 months in 2004 inflation-adjusted dollars. Housing 

units are classified by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based 

on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in 

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on 

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, 

see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

$47,084

$44,684

$48,784

$47,442

$45,845

$47,497

15 Data reflect the median income of

households in the 12 months prior to being

surveyed. Income is expressed in 2004

inflation-adjusted dollars. It is based on the

distribution of the total number of households and includes those with no income.

Households are classified by the race and

Hispanic origin of the householder.
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 17

• About 18 percent of Pacific

Islanders were living below the

poverty level in the 12 months

prior to being surveyed, compared with about 9 percent of

non-Hispanic Whites.

• The poverty rate was generally

higher for children (under age

18). About 25 percent of Pacific

Islander children and about 

11 percent of non-Hispanic

White children lived in poverty.

• The poverty rate was lower for

people aged 65 and older. Similar

proportions (about 7 percent) of

Pacific Islanders and non-Hispanic

Whites in this age group were living below the poverty level.

The poverty rate was higher for Pacific Islanders than for non-Hispanic Whites.

16

Figure 13.

Poverty Rate by Age Group: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of specific group in poverty in the past 12 months. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude 

the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection,

sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone or in combination

Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not Hispanic

Total

All ages Under 18 65 and older

13.1

8.8

18.1

18.6

16.7

16.8

18.4

11.0

24.5

26.2

20.7

20.9

9.4

7.2

7.5

7.7

5.0

5.1

16 In accordance with the U.S. Office of

Management and Budget’s (OMB) Statistical

Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a

set of money income thresholds that vary by

family size and composition to determine

who is in poverty. If a family’s total income

is less than the threshold for the family, then

that family and every individual in it are considered to be in poverty. For example, the

poverty threshold for a family of three with

one child under 18 for the 1-year period

preceding the ACS interview was $14,974.

Poverty status was determined for all individuals except for unrelated individuals under

15 years old. The official poverty definition

uses money income before taxes and does

not include capital gains or noncash benefits.

For more information on poverty in the ACS,

see <www.census.gov/prod/2005pubs

/acs-01.pdf> and <www.census.gov/acs

/www/UseData/Def/Poverty.htm>.
18 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• About one-half of Pacific Islander

households lived in owneroccupied homes, compared with

about three-quarters of nonHispanic White households.

• About one-half of Pacific

Islander households lived in

renter-occupied homes, compared with about one-quarter of

non-Hispanic White households.

About one-half of Pacific Islander households lived in owner-occupied homes.

Figure 14.

Housing Tenure: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Percent of occupied housing units. Housing tenure is shown by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based on 

sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group 

quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone or in combination

Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not Hispanic

Total

Owners Renters

51.3

67.1

73.9

46.4

46.2

48.7

48.7

32.9

26.1

53.6

53.8

51.3
U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 19

• The median value of Pacific

Islander owner-occupied homes

was about $230,000. This was

higher than the median value of

non-Hispanic White owneroccupied homes (about

$154,000).17

• The median monthly rental payment of Pacific Islander households in renter-occupied homes

was about $805, compared with

about $693 for non-Hispanic

White households.18

Pacific Islander owner-occupied homes had higher median values than 

non-Hispanic White owner-occupied homes.

Figure 15.

Selected Housing Characteristics: 2004

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201.

(Housing units are classified by the race and Hispanic origin of the householder. Data based on sample limited to the household 

population and exclude the population living in institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on 

confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see 

http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone or in

combination, not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not Hispanic

Total

Median value of owner-occupied

housing units

Median gross rent of renter-occupied

housing units

$785

$151,366

$153,693

$229,885

$224,173

$243,928 

$237,622

$694

$693

$805

$794

$798

17 Differences between the geographic

distribution of Pacific Islanders and nonHispanic Whites may affect home values and

rental costs.

18 The monthly rental payment represents

gross rent (i.e., the amount of the contract

rent plus the estimated average monthly

cost of utilities and fuels).
20 The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 U.S. Census Bureau

• In 2004, about 68 percent of

Pacific Islander workers aged 16

and older drove alone and about

19 percent carpooled to work. 

• Among non-Hispanic White

workers aged 16 and older,

about 81 percent drove alone

and about 8 percent carpooled

to work.19

• Public transportation was used

to commute by about 6 percent

of Pacific Islander workers and

about 3 percent of non-Hispanic

White workers.

• The mean travel time to work

was similar for Pacific Islander

workers and non-Hispanic White

workers (about 24 minutes).

Pacific Islander workers were more likely than non-Hispanic White workers to use

public transportation or to carpool to work.

Figure 16.

Commuting to Work: 2004

Note: Some percentages do not sum to 100.0 due to rounding. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2004 American Community Survey, Selected Population Profiles, S0201. 

(Percent of workers 16 and older. Data based on sample limited to the household population and exclude the population living in 

institutions, college dormitories, and other group quarters. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling 

error, and definitions, see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/en/datanotes/exp_acs2004.html)

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

or in combination

Pacific Islander alone,

not Hispanic

Pacific Islander alone

White alone, not

Hispanic

Total

Drove alone: 

car, truck, or van

Carpooled: 

car, truck, 

or van

Public 

transportation, 

except taxicab Walked

Other 

means

Worked

at home

Mean 

travel 

time 

(mins.)

24.7

23.9

23.7

23.4

25.0

3.0 24.6

77.7

81.1

68.2

69.9

69.0

70.4

10.1

8.3

19.1

17.6

17.9

16.9

4.6

2.6

5.6

5.0

5.4

4.7

2.4

2.2

3.2

3.5

3.0

3.4

1.4

1.3

1.4

1.6

1.5

1.6

3.8

4.4

2.5

2.5

3.2

19 Differences between the geographic

distribution of Pacific Islanders and nonHispanic Whites may affect commuting

patterns.
SOURCE OF THE DATA 

AND ACCURACY OF 

THE ESTIMATES

The findings presented in this

report are based on the ACS sample interviewed in 2004. The data

in this report are based on the

population living in households

that were included in the ACS sample. The 2004 ACS did not collect

information from people living in

group quarters, which include correctional facilities, hospitals, college dormitories, group homes,

and overnight shelters.

The 2004 ACS used a two-stage

stratified sample of approximately

838,000 housing units and the

occupants of these units. ACS figures are estimates based on this

sample and approximate the actual

figures that would have been

obtained by interviewing the entire

household population using the

same methodology. The estimates

from the 2004 ACS sample may differ from other samples of housing

units and people within those housing units. The process of sampling

ensures the integrity and the representativeness of sample survey

results but also results in sampling

error. Sampling error is the deviation of a sample estimate from the

average of all possible samples.

In addition to sampling error, other

types of errors, specifically, nonsampling errors, may be introduced during any of the operations

used to collect and process survey

data. For example, operations such

as editing, reviewing, or keying

data from questionnaires may

introduce error into the estimates.

Nonsampling errors may affect the

data in two ways. Errors that are

introduced randomly increase the

variability of the data. Systematic

errors that are consistent in one

direction introduce bias into the

results of a sample survey. The

Census Bureau protects against the

effect of systematic errors on survey estimates by conducting

extensive research and evaluation

programs on sampling techniques,

questionnaire design, and data collection and processing procedures.

The primary sources of error and

the processes instituted to control

error in the 2004 ACS are

described in further detail in the

Accuracy of the Data (2004) explanation located at <www.census.gov

/acs/www/Downloads/ACS

/accuracy2004.pdf>.

Sampling errors and some types of

nonsampling errors are estimated

by the measure of standard error.

The sample estimate and its estimated standard error permit the

construction of interval estimates

with a prescribed confidence that

the interval includes the average

result of all possible samples. All

comparison statements in this ACS

2004 report have undergone statistical testing, and comparisons are

significant at the 90-percent confidence level unless otherwise noted.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Further information from the 2004

ACS is available from the American

FactFinder on the Census Bureau’s

Web site. More than 1,000 tables

are available, including population

profiles for race, Hispanic-origin,

and ancestry groups. The Internet

address is 

<http://factfinder.census.gov>. 

For information on confidentiality

protection, also see 

<www.census.gov/acs

/www/Downloads/ACS

/accuracy2004.pdf>.

For more information on the Pacific

Islander population, visit

<www.census.gov/population

/www/socdemo/race/api.html>.

CONTACT

For additional information, contact

the Racial Statistics Branch at 

301-763-2402 or via e-mail

pop@census.gov.

U.S. Census Bureau The American Community—Pacific Islanders: 2004 21