Kalawao County, Hawaii Demographics 2026

Population Overview

Kalawao County is located in Hawaii with a total population of 67. It is the 5th most populous county out of 5 in Hawaii.

Age Demographics

The median age in Kalawao County is 39.5 years. This is 3% lower than the state median of 40.9 years. 11.9% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Kalawao County is $73,750. This is 27% lower than the state median of $100,389. It is also 9% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 22.7%. This is 126% higher than the state poverty rate of 10.0%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Kalawao County, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. Every occupied housing unit the survey reached in Kalawao County was renter-occupied. At this sample size that indicates no owner-occupied homes were captured rather than that none exist.

Race & Ethnicity

Kalawao County is a highly diverse community where no single racial or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the population. Asian residents account for 17.9%. The Asian population (17.9%) is well below the state average of 36.4%.

Education

22.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 38% lower than the state rate of 36.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 80.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Kalawao County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against Hawaii and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.