Kauai County, Hawaii: commercial real estate data.
Kauai County, Hawaii has a population of 73,731 across 620 square miles, up 0.8 percent since the 2020 census base. 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.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Kauai County
How many people live in Kauai County
- Population73,731
- 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-equivalents762nd
Kauai County is the 4th largest of 5 Hawaii counties by population. A median home costs 8.9 times median household income, which is a stretched ownership market and usually shows up as rental demand. 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 storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Kauai County
Is Kauai County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base0.75 percent
- Census 2020 base population73,292
- 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
The county has grown 0.75 percent since the 2020 census base. Births exceeded deaths in 2024 but more people left than arrived, so the population is being sustained internally rather than attracting.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Kauai County
Where people moving to Kauai County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,349
- People arriving, from those returns2,213
- Adjusted gross income arriving$159.0 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$117,886
- Largest single originKauai County Non-migrants (29,698 households)
- Largest single destination (29,698 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kauai County Non-migrants | 29,698 | 56,455 | $2.47 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 817 | 1,379 | $110.0 m |
| Other flows - West | 452 | 760 | $58.8 m |
| Honolulu County | 228 | 365 | $16.2 m |
| Other flows - South | 189 | 326 | $20.6 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 90 | 144 | $7.2 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 86 | 149 | $23.5 m |
| Los Angeles County | 66 | 88 | $6.3 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Kauai County Non-migrants, 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 the Kauai County economy runs on
- 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 Hawaii counties4th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents672nd
- 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
Who employs people in Kauai County
- Covered employment, annual average32,830
- Establishments reporting3,468
- Average annual pay$59,731
- Average weekly wage$1,149
- Sector 62, employment2,673
- Sector 62, average annual pay$70,813
- Sector 23, employment2,105
- Sector 23, average annual pay$83,249
- Sector 56, employment1,926
- Sector 56, average annual pay$48,373
- Sector 81, employment1,186
- Sector 81, average annual pay$51,613
- Sector 54, employment878
- Sector 53, employment692
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 2,673 | 336 | $70,813 |
| Sector 23 | 2,105 | 365 | $83,249 |
| Sector 56 | 1,926 | 250 | $48,373 |
| Sector 81 | 1,186 | 281 | $51,613 |
| Sector 54 | 878 | 318 | $102,596 |
| Sector 53 | 692 | 170 | $63,376 |
| Sector 42 | 482 | 84 | $70,498 |
| Sector 52 | 391 | 91 | $70,435 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 2,673 jobs, 8.1 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Kauai County
What businesses operate 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.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Kauai County
What is being built in Kauai County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024141
- Declared construction value permitted$120.1 m
- Single family units authorised141
- Multifamily units authorised0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$851,837
- Units authorised per 1,000 households6.0
Multifamily is 0.0 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Kauai County
How much SBA lending happens in Kauai County
- 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$699,900
- 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$275,000
- Distinct CDCs active2
- 504 jobs per approval3.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved7.8
- Most active CDCHEDCO Local Development Corporation (42)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals55.6 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$32.0 m
The average approval of $263,620 sits well above the median of $84,100, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually 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
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
Too few loans have reached a final outcome to publish a charge off rate. only 5 resolved loans, too few to publish a rate. A rate computed on a handful of loans is noise, so none is shown.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Kauai County
Which parts of Kauai County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending12
- Kapaa, approvals15
- LIHUE, approvals12
- KOLOA, approvals9
- WAIMEA, approvals4
- KALAHEO, approvals4
- HANALEI, approvals3
| Place | 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 |
| ANAHOLA | 2 | $80,000 |
| Princeville | 2 | $1,051,000 |
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 big 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.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- Computed from shared land boundary. Geographies separated by water are not counted, so this understates the true neighbour set in this state.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
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.
- Population73,731
- 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?
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 growing?
The population has grown 0.75 percent since the 2020 census base. 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 there 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 the average wage in Kauai County?
Average annual pay is $59,731, or $1,149 a week, across 32,830 covered jobs. 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 totalling $14.5 m since FY2020, across 19 lenders, with a median approval of $84,100, plus 44 504 approvals worth $17.5 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
What is being built in Kauai County?
141 housing units were authorised 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 Kauai County Non-migrants, with 29,698 households. Arriving households report an average income of $117,886 against null 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?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.