Kauai County, Hawaii: commercial real estate data.
Kauai County, Hawaii had an estimated 73,840 residents on July 1, 2024, up 0.7 percent since the 2020 census base of 73,292, across 620 square miles. County output reached $5.55 bn in 2024, 2,281 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 55 7(a) approvals worth $14.5 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Kauai County
How many people live in Kauai County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202473,731
- Households23,632
- Average household size3.12
- Median household income$97,668
- Median age43.1
- Median gross rent$1,870 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$873,200
- Home value to household income8.9 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income23.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher30.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree10.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over53,395
- Population under 1815,636
- Share under 1821.2 percent
- Population 65 and over16,530
- Share 65 and over22.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6441,565
- Civilian labor force38,228
- Unemployment rate3.8 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over65.8 percent
- Rank by population among Hawaii counties4th of 5
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included762nd of 3,222
Kauai County is the 4th largest of 5 Hawaii counties by population. A median home costs 8.9 times median household income, which is severely unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.4 percent against 21.2 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kauai County
Is Kauai County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202473,840
- Census 2020 base population73,292
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.75 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024-93
- Births, 2024734
- Deaths, 2024686
- Natural change, 202448
- Net domestic migration, 2024-488
- Net international migration, 2024350
- Total net migration, 2024-138
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 2024-902
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1570th of 3,144
The county has grown 0.75 percent since the 2020 census base. More people left than moved in during 2024 and births over deaths did not make up the difference, so the population fell.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Kauai County
Where are people moving to Kauai County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,349
- People arriving, from those returns2,213
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,421
- Net household movement-72
- Adjusted gross income arriving$159.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$29.9 m
- Average income of an arriving household$117,886
- Average income of a leaving household$90,873
- Largest single originHonolulu County (228 households)
- Largest single destinationHonolulu County (209 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu County | 228 | 365 | $16.2 m |
| Los Angeles County | 66 | 88 | $6.3 m |
| San Diego County | 52 | 75 | $9.8 m |
| Orange County | 43 | 73 | $7.2 m |
| Hawaii County | 38 | 54 | $1.6 m |
| King County | 37 | 63 | $5.2 m |
| Maricopa County | 34 | 59 | $2.9 m |
| Maui County | 34 | 58 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $27,013 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Honolulu County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Kauai County
What is the Kauai County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$5.55 bn
- County GDP, 2023$5.31 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20244.5 percent
- GDP change over five years43.5 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Hawaii areas BEA publishes4th of 4
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes672nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$75,306
Output grew 4.5 percent in the latest year and 43.5 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Kauai County
Employment by industry in Kauai County
- Covered employment, annual average32,830
- Establishments reporting3,468
- Average annual pay$59,731
- Average weekly wage$1,149
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,673
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$70,813
- Construction, employment2,105
- Construction, average annual pay$83,249
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment1,926
- Administrative and support and waste management services, average annual pay$48,373
- Other services, except public administration, employment1,186
- Other services, except public administration, average annual pay$51,613
- Professional, scientific and technical services, employment878
- Real estate and rental and leasing, employment692
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 2,673 | 336 | $70,813 |
| Construction | 2,105 | 365 | $83,249 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 1,926 | 250 | $48,373 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,186 | 281 | $51,613 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 878 | 318 | $102,596 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 692 | 170 | $63,376 |
| Wholesale trade | 482 | 84 | $70,498 |
| Finance and insurance | 391 | 91 | $70,435 |
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,673 jobs, 8.1 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kauai County
How many businesses are in Kauai County?
- Establishments, all industries2,281
- Employment at those establishments27,099
- Annual payroll$1.40 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.9
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kauai County
Building permits in Kauai County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024141
- Declared construction value permitted$120.1 m
- Single family units authorized141
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$851,837
- Units authorized per 1,000 households6.0
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kauai County
SBA loans in Kauai County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded55
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$14.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$263,620
- Median 7(a) approval$84,100
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$694,300
- Largest single approval$2,085,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)400
- Jobs per approval7.3
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active19
- Distinct industries receiving approvals37
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer7.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter50
- Franchise loans0
- Franchise share of approvals0.0 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (7)
- Most active lenderCentral Pacific Bank (17)
- 504 approvals recorded44
- 504 gross approval dollars$17.5 m
- Average 504 approval$396,886
- Median 504 approval$274,500
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval3.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.8
- Most active CDCHEDCO Local Development Corporation (42)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$32.0 m
The average approval of $263,620 sits well above the median of $84,100, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 7.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kauai County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Kauai County
Do SBA loans in Kauai County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full4
- Charged off1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure43
- Status: Paid in full4
- Status: Cancelled6
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed1
Only 5 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kauai County
SBA lending by place in Kauai County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending12
- Kapaa, approvals15
- Lihue, approvals12
- Koloa, approvals9
- Waimea, approvals4
- Kalaheo, approvals4
- Hanalei, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Kapaa | 15 | $3,833,800 |
| Lihue | 12 | $1,201,000 |
| Koloa | 9 | $3,251,900 |
| Waimea | 4 | $2,520,000 |
| Kalaheo | 4 | $690,500 |
| Hanalei | 3 | $1,094,000 |
| Princeville | 2 | $1,051,000 |
| Anahola | 2 | $80,000 |
| 4 other borrower cities | 4 | $776,900 |
Kapaa accounts for 15 approvals against 12 in Lihue. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kauai County
How large is Kauai County?
- Land area620 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Hawaii counties3rd of 5
- Width, east to west80.8 mi
- Height, north to south40.6 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary0
- Residents per square mile of land119
- Establishments per square mile3.68
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kauai County
Flood risk in Kauai County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Kauai County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 150002
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 8
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book1
- Of those, participating in the NFIP1
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class1
- Radon levels in Kauai County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Kauai County (community 150002), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 8, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Kauai County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Kauai County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Kauai County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202473,731
- Households23,632
- Average household size3.12
- Median household income$97,668
- Median age43.1
Common questions
Kauai County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Kauai County, Hawaii?
The Census Bureau estimates 73,840 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 73,731, in 23,632 households, ranking 4th of 5 Hawaii counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Kauai County's population growing?
The population has grown 0.75 percent since the 2020 census base of 73,292, to 73,840 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 734 births against 686 deaths, with net migration of -138. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Kauai County?
$97,668. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $873,200, which is 8.9 times income, and median gross rent is $1,870 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Kauai County?
2,281 establishments, employing 27,099 people with an annual payroll of $1.40 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Kauai County?
Health care and social assistance is the largest private sector at 2,673 jobs, 8.1 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 32,830 jobs at an average annual pay of $59,731, or $1,149 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Kauai County?
55 7(a) approvals totaling $14.5 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $84,100, plus 44 504 approvals worth $17.5 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in Kauai County?
141 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $120.1 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Kauai County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Kauai County come from?
The largest single origin is Honolulu County, with 228 households. Arriving households report an average income of $117,886 against $90,873 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Kauai County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Kauai County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Kauai County
Cities and places in Kauai.
24 Census places lie wholly or partly in Kauai County. All 24 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapaa | CDP | 11,094 | 15 | Wholly in this county |
| Lihue | CDP | 7,901 | 12 | Wholly in this county |
| Wailua Homesteads | CDP | 5,431 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hanamaulu | CDP | 4,972 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kalaheo | CDP | 4,435 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Puhi | CDP | 4,362 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kekaha | CDP | 3,768 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Kilauea | CDP | 3,146 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Anahola | CDP | 3,067 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Koloa | CDP | 2,907 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Lawai | CDP | 2,718 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wailua | CDP | 2,697 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hanapepe | CDP | 2,638 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Eleele | CDP | 2,522 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Princeville | CDP | 2,020 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Waimea | CDP | 1,840 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Omao | CDP | 1,528 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Poipu | CDP | 1,175 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Kaumakani | CDP | 1,012 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Haena | CDP | 631 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Wainiha | CDP | 362 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Pakala Village | CDP | 292 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Hanalei | CDP | 272 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Kalihiwai | CDP | 219 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
Nearby
Sharing a boundary with Kauai.
No county-equivalent shares a land boundary with Kauai County. Computed from shared land boundary. Geographies separated by water are not counted, so this understates the true neighbor set in this state.