None of Hawai'i's counties made the Census Bureau's list of top 100 fastest-growing U.S. counties. But Hawai'i's statewide population has been growing steadily over the past three years at an average annual rate of 1.1 percent. That followed six years of growth below 1 percent, from 1995 to 2001, according to officials at the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

While Maui County was the population growth leader from 1990 to 2001, Hawai'i County has taken over the top spot over the past three years with an annual growth rate of 2.6 percent, followed by Maui County at 1.8 percent, Kaua'i County at 1.6 percent and Honolulu County at 0.8 percent.

The hot spots for growth on the Big Island are North Kona and Puna, judging by the number of building permits being issued, as well as the stress being exerted on infrastructure, such as the roads, said Colette Rapozo-Yamamoto of the county's Department of Research and Development.

"Puna is growing by leaps and bounds," Rapozo-Yamamoto said. "Lots of people are buying lots and building houses, many of them sold before they're even finished."

According to DBEDT's Research and Economic Analysis Division, recent Big Island population growth is due in part to an influx of people from elsewhere in the state and the Mainland. The average net U.S. migration was 2,700 people from 2002 to 2004, while O'ahu experienced a net U.S. migration loss of 4,600 people a year during that period.

Slower population growth has reduced O'ahu's share of the state population, from 75.3 percent in July 1990 to 71.2 percent in July 2004. Hawai'i County gained 2 percentage points from 10.9 percent to 12.9 percent, Maui County's population share increased 1.9 percentage points from 9.1 percent to 11.0 percent, and Kaua'i County increased 0.3 percentage points from 4.6 percent to 4.9 percent during the same period.