How Big Is Hawaii Compared to Texas?

Hawaii and Texas are both pretty big pieces of land… but how do they compare size-wise when you stack one on top of the other?

Texas is about 25 times bigger than Hawaii. Hawaii has a total area of 10,932 square miles (28,313 square km), while Texas covers 268,597 square miles (695,662 square kilometers). The total land area of Hawaii is 6,423 square miles (16,635 square km), while that of Texas is 261,797 square miles (678,051 square km). 

As you might expect, there are more differences between Hawaii and Texas than just their size. I’ll explain how Hawaii and Texas differ by population demographics, economic parameters, and tourist influx in this article. Let’s get started!

Hawaii vs. Texas: By Size

Texas ranks second in the US by total area and total land area. On the other hand, Hawaii is one of the smallest states by area and ranks 43rd among the 50 states. 

To put it another way: Hawaii can fit into Texas 25 times. 

Houston, the largest city in Texas, covers an area of 640 square miles (1,657.5 square km). It is roughly the same size as the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

On the other hand, Honolulu, the largest city in Hawaii, covers approximately 68.3 square miles (177 square km) and is one of the smallest cities in the country.

Hawaii has 4,509 square miles (11,678 square km) of water within the state, while Texas has 7,365 square miles (19,075 square km) of water. This is tiny in comparison to the total area of water bodies in states like Alaska (94,743 square miles or 245,383 square km) and Michigan (40,175 square miles or 104,053 square km).

However, Hawaii is surrounded by water on all sides and has about 750 miles (1,207 km) of coastline compared to about 367 miles (591 km) of Gulf shoreline in Texas.

Hawaii vs. Texas: By Demographics

Hawaii has a population of 1.4 million people, according to data provided by the US Census Bureau’s annual estimates for July 2021. According to data released by the US Census Bureau in December 2021, the population of Texas is a little less than 30 million.

Texas is the second most populated state in the United States, behind California. This should not come as a surprise, given its size. 

However, there is an interesting contrast in the population statistics of these two states. 

Although Hawaii is one of the smallest states in the country, it has one of the highest population densities. With a density of 222.9 people per square mile, the state ranks 13th in the US on this parameter. 

On the other hand, the second largest state in the US, Texas, has a population density of 105.2 people per square mile. It ranks 26th in the country based on this metric. The high temperatures and unforgiving terrain across large areas of the state make some parts of Texas challenging to live in.

There are also stark differences in the composition of the population of Hawaii and Texas. 

Hawaii has the highest percentage (37.4) of Asian-Americans among all states in the US, making it a majority-minority state. It also has the lowest percentage (24.15) of White people. 

In contrast, they make up 69.16% of the total population in Texas. People of African-American descent make up the largest (12.10%) racial minority here. However, Hispanics are projected to become the largest minority group soon.

Hawaii vs. Texas: By GDP

Hawaii’s annual GDP is $90,059 million, as per 2021 data. The annual GDP of Texas for the same period is $1,985,319 million. The GDP per capita for Hawaii and Texas are $64,008 and $67,618, respectively. 

That means the Texas economy is about 22x larger than the Hawaii economy.

Hawaii’s Economy

Tourism and defense are the two biggest industries in Hawaii. 

Tourism generates more than $16 billion in revenue for the state and employs more than 200,000 people. 

The United States military is the second-largest contributor to the Hawaiian economy and generates more than $7.8 billion in revenue annually. Hawaii is one of the few states that house the Army, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, and Coast Guard.

Texas’s Economy

On the other hand, a variety of industries contribute to the Texan economy, making it more resilient. The following five industries are the main drivers of the economy of Texas:

• Corporate Services: The corporate services sector in Texas employs 14% (about 2 million) of the state’s non-agricultural workers, the highest percentage in the country.
• Leisure and Hospitality: This sector employs 9% of the total non-agricultural workforce in the country, which is significantly higher than the norm for the rest of the country.
• Higher Education and Health: Eight of the 25 biggest employers in Texas are hospitals or higher learning centers like research facilities. 
• Energy: Texas ranks on top among all states in terms of employment in this sector and total energy output.
• Information and Technology: Texas is home to several multinational tech behemoths, such as Dell, Inc., Rackspace Hosting Inc., and Texas Instruments Inc. Hewlett-Packard Company and AT&T Inc. are some of the largest employers in the state.

Hawaii vs. Texas: By Annual Tourist Influx

As I mentioned, the travel and tourism industry is one of the critical drivers of GDP in both Hawaii and Texas. 

According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, about 10.4 million people visited the Hawaiian islands in 2019. The number of tourists arriving by flights and cruise ships is picking up after the pandemic. The hotel industry is also recovering, which is why hotel rates are rising.

According to data from the Governor of Texas, about 72.5 million people visited Texas in 2018. After dipping during the pandemic, average daily flights in major Texas airports and hotel occupancy rates have started increasing to pre-pandemic levels.  

Conclusion: How Big is Hawaii Compared to Texas?

Texas is much larger than Hawaii by virtually every metric. However, they’re both incredible places to visit, and I highly recommend trying to make it to both states at some point in your life.