Talk about purposely keeping out the poor....

[pahoated]

The high cost of living and limited employment are probably the main reasons why 7,000 move to Hawaii every year, but 6,000 leave. Most of those are young working age that have to move to the mainland to get jobs. The ones coming in are mostly retired. It's a myth that there is some kind of big growth happening in Puna. From 2010 to 2013, the population of Hawaii county went from 185,000 to 189,000. That appears to fit the net 1,000 per year that are staying. There was a region in Puna that had the highest growth rate but that was in a very narrow band encompassing Kea'au and HPP. The growth rate for the rest of Puna was very low. In a way, the high cost of living acts as a growth regulator.

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/15/15001.html

"This island Hawaii on this island Earth"