Kauai County, Hawaii


Kauai County or Kauai County, officially known as the County of Kauai, is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It encompasses the islands of Kauai, Niihau, Lehua, and Kaula. According to the 2020 Census, the population was 73,298. The county seat is Līhue.
The Kapa'a Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Kauai County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of, of which is land and is water. The Pacific Ocean surrounds the county.

Adjacent entities

National protected areas

Communities

There are no incorporated communities in Kauai County, or in any other county of Hawaii. The county is the only form of local government in the State of Hawaii.

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated places

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 73,298. Of the residents, 21.5% were under the age of 18 and 21.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 43.0 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.2 males. 57.8% of residents lived in urban areas and 42.2% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 31.7% White, 0.5% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 28.8% Asian, 9.9% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 1.5% from some other race, and 27.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.1% of the population.
There were 24,712 households in the county, of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 24.5% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 30,157 housing units, of which 18.1% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 62.8% were owner-occupied and 37.2% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.4%.
Race / Ethnicity Pop 1980Pop 1990Pop 2000Pop 2010Pop 2020% 1980% 1990% 2000% 2010% 2020
White alone 10,10916,23516,28420,61122,19425.87%31.72%27.85%30.72%30.28%
Black or African American alone 641931632583520.16%0.38%0.28%0.38%0.48%
Native American or Alaska Native alone 781491381581560.20%0.29%0.24%0.24%0.21%
Asian alone 25,56128,91420,41220,29620,50465.40%56.50%34.91%30.25%27.97%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone xx5,0775,7166,825xx8.68%8.52%9.31%
Race and ethnicity in [the United States census|Other race] alone 010682742830.00%0.21%0.14%0.11%0.39%
Mixed race or Multiracial xx11,50413,66315,590xx19.68%20.36%21.27%
Hispanic or Latino 3,2705,5804,8036,3157,3948.37%10.90%8.22%9.41%10.09%
Total39,08251,17758,46367,09173,298 100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%100.00%

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 58,463 people, 20,183 households, and 14,572 families in the county. The population density was. There were 25,331 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county was 36.0% Asian, 29.5% White, 23.8% from two or more races, 9.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% Black or African American, 0.4% Native American and 0.9% from other races. 8.2%. were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Of the 20,183 households 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 21.4% of households were one person and 7.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.34.
The age distribution was 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% 65 or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.50 males.

Economy

Top employers

According to the county's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top non-government employers in the county are the following:
#Employer# of Employees
1Wilcox Health (Wilcox Medical Center)846
2Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa810
3Ohana Pacific Management Co.371
4Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital275
5Kauai Beach Resort160
6Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital148
7Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative140
8Kauai Nursery & Landscaping Inc.97
9Gather FCU88
10The Parrish Collection85

Education

Higher education

is the county's only institution of higher education. One of the ten branches of the University of Hawaiʻi system, it offers a range of 2-year degrees and is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Primary and Secondary Education

Public schools in the county are operated by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education, and the county is represented by Maggie Cox on the state's Board of Education. There are 10 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 3 high schools, and 5 K-12 schools in the county.

High schools

Middle schools

Elementary schools

K-12 Schools

Private schools

There are four private schools in the county: Island School, Kahili Adventist School, St. Theresa's Elementary School, and ʻŌlelo Christian Academy. St. Catherine's School used to operate, but closed its doors on June 7, 2024.

Infrastructure

Transportation

serves the island of Kauai. Bus service is provided by The Kauai Bus.
;;Major Highways

Government and politics

Kauai County operates under a mayor-council form of municipal government. The Mayor of Kauai, elected by the voters on a nonpartisan basis, holds executive authority for a four-year term. Meanwhile, legislative authority is vested in the seven-member County Council. Members of the County Council are elected on a nonpartisan, at-large basis to two-year terms.

United States Congress

Kauai County, like the rest of Hawaii, is represented entirely by Democrats in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.

Elections

Federal

Kauai County, like Hawaii in general, has traditionally been a stronghold of the Democratic Party. The county has not voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984, when it narrowly voted in favor of Ronald Reagan. In 2024, while it still voted majority Democratic, Kauai County cast the highest percentage for the Republican candidate of any county in the state, a distinction that has generally been held by Honolulu County; this was the first time Kauai County had done so since 1960. The island of Kauai leans Democratic overall. The island of Ni'ihau, which has a very small population, tends to vote almost entirely Republican, by far the strongest such leaning of all major Hawaiian islands.

Sister cities

Kauai County's sister cities are: