Hawaii · GEOID 15007

Kauai County

2024 ACS 5-year estimates · population 73,731 · 30,471 housing units

Median household income

$97,668

State $100,614

Median home value

$873,200

State $830,284

Median gross rent

$1,870

State $1,996

Homeownership rate

68.6%

State 63.0%

Renter cost-burden rate

52.0%

≥30% of income

Owner cost-burden rate

30.9%

≥30% of income

Homeowner vacancy

0.7%

Of owner-occupied + for-sale units

Rental vacancy

2.0%

Of renter-occupied + for-rent units

Overall vacancy

22.4%

All housing units

Price-to-income ratio

8.94

Affordable: 2.0–3.0

Section 1

Community Profile

Population, demographics, household composition, and income.

Community Data Summary

	Kauai County	Hawaii
Population	73,731	1,445,235
Population density (per sq. mi.)	118.95	—
Median household income	$97,668	$100,614
HUD Area Median Income (4-person, 100%)	$120,100	—
Households	23,632	—
Average household size	3.09 people	—
Owner-occupied	68.6%	63.0%
Renter-occupied	31.4%	37.0%
Race	29.7% White · 0.9% Black	0.0% White · 0.0% Black

Source: ACS 5-year 2024 (Tables DP05, S1101, DP04, S1901) and Census Gazetteer (land area); HUD FY2026 Income Limits.

Racial composition

Kauai County compared with Hawaii.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP05.

Educational attainment (population 25+)

30.1% hold a bachelor's degree or higher (state: 36.1%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1501.

Median Household Income by Tenure

Owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied household income, county and state.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25119.

Median Household Income by Age of Householder

Median household income by age group of householder.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B19049.

Median Household Income by Number of Earners

Median household income for families with each earner count.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903.

Household Size

Distribution of households by number of people.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2501.

Income by Number of Earners

Earners	Share	Median income	Attainable monthly housing cost	Attainable home
0 earners	15.8%	$74,000	$1,850	$244,434
1 earner	28.3%	$81,576	$2,039	$272,634
2 earners	38.1%	$122,766	$3,069	$425,957
3+ earners	17.8%	$174,400	$4,360	$618,156

Attainable monthly housing cost = 30% of gross income ÷ 12. Attainable home price assumes 30% housing budget, 30-yr mortgage at 7%, 5% down.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S1903; affordability formula derived.

Households

23,632

Average size: 3.09 people

Households with children

5,216

22.1% of households

Per-capita income

$43,836

Poverty rate: 8.4%

Section 2

Residential Market Analysis

Housing stock characteristics — tenure, type, age, size, vacancy, rents.

Tenure

68.6% owner-occupied vs. state average 63.0%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Structure type

Single-family share 75.5% · Missing middle (2–19 units) 13.7%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25024.

Housing stock by decade

40.8% built before 1980 · Median structure age 1,983.00 yrs.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2504.

Housing size mismatch

Compares the share of housing units by bedroom count against the share of households by size — a common diagnostic of housing supply/demand alignment.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Tables B25041 (bedrooms) and S2501 (household size).

Home value distribution

Owner-occupied homes by value bracket. Median: $873,200.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table DP04.

Monthly Housing Costs

Distribution of monthly housing costs across all occupied units.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25104.

Number of Bedrooms

Housing units by number of bedrooms.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25041.

Median rent by bedroom

Overall median gross rent: $1,870.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25031.

Renters by age

Number of renter householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Owners by age

Number of owner householders by age bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table S2502.

Vacancy composition

All 6,839 vacant units split into Census's seven categories. Frictional vacancy (units actively on the market) reflects healthy churn. Structural vacancy (seasonal, migrant, other) sits outside the market for year-round residents — high values change how the headline vacancy rate should be read.

Vacant units by type

For sale 1.6% · For rent 2.3% · Seasonal 58.4% · Other 32.5%.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Frictional vs structural

7.4% of vacancy is frictional (for sale + for rent + rented/sold not yet occupied); 92.6% is structural (seasonal + migrant + other).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25004.

Seasonal / recreational share of all housing

13.1%

3,991 units of 30,471 total

⚑ Above the 10% threshold — meaningful pressure on year-round residents from second-home / short-term-rental demand.

"Other vacant" share of all housing

7.3%

2,224 units of 30,471 total

⚑ Above the 5% threshold — possible indicator of disinvestment, abandonment, or condemned stock.

Section 3

Workforce Housing Needs Assessment

Affordability, cost burden, and the housing options for households in the workforce income range.

Workforce range — ACS median household income

80% MHI$78,134

100% MHI$97,668

120% MHI$117,202

County-wide median from ACS 5-year estimates. A household at 100% MHI in Kauai County should be able to afford a home up to roughly — (30% housing budget, default mortgage terms).

Workforce range — HUD Area Median Income

	1-person	2-person	4-person
80% AMI	$76,100	$87,000	$108,700
100% AMI	$84,070	$96,080	$120,100
120% AMI	$100,900	$115,300	$144,100

HUD FMR Area: Kauai County, HI. 80% AMI uses HUD's published Section 8 Low Income Limits; 100% is HUD MFI; 120% is the standard workforce convention.

Affordability calculator

Follows the standard 30%-of-gross-income affordability rule.

Income basis Household income Interest rate % Down payment % Taxes & insurance / yr

Affordable monthly—

Affordable home price—

Renter cost burden

52.0% of renter households spend ≥30% of income on rent (22.1% spend ≥50%).

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25070.

Owner cost burden by income

30.9% of homeowners spend ≥30% of income on housing. Bars show counts of cost-burdened owners by income bracket.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25106.

Household income — owners vs renters

Distribution of household income for owner-occupied (navy) and renter-occupied (gold) households.

Source: ACS 5-year 2024, Table B25118.

Section 4

Industry & Workforce Wages

Employment, average wages, and the housing each industry's typical earner can afford in Kauai County.

Covered employment

14,481

Across 14 sectors

Establishments

2,817

QCEW 2024

Avg annual pay (workforce)

$70,904

Employment-weighted across sectors

Top 10 sectors by employment

Annual average employment by NAICS 2-digit sector. Counties with fewer than five covered establishments in a sector may show suppressed totals.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024.

Attainable housing by industry

Industry	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 62 Health care and social assistance NAICS 62	3,200	$73,789	$243,648	−$629,552	$1,845
NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 23	2,105	$83,256	$278,888	−$594,312	$2,081
NAICS 61 Educational services NAICS 61	2,026	$56,055	$177,636	−$695,564	$1,401
NAICS 56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services NAICS 56	1,926	$48,383	$149,078	−$724,122	$1,210
NAICS 81 Other services (except public administration) NAICS 81	1,186	$51,631	$161,169	−$712,031	$1,291
NAICS 92 Public administration NAICS 92	1,140	$83,710	$280,578	−$592,622	$2,093
NAICS 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 54	898	$102,822	$351,719	−$521,481	$2,571
NAICS 53 Real estate and rental and leasing NAICS 53	692	$63,330	$204,716	−$668,484	$1,583
NAICS 42 Wholesale trade NAICS 42	482	$70,558	$231,621	−$641,579	$1,764
NAICS 52 Finance and insurance NAICS 52	392	$70,627	$231,878	−$641,322	$1,766
NAICS 51 Information NAICS 51	189	$158,896	$560,445	−$312,755	$3,972
NAICS 55 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 55	138	$109,560	$376,800	−$496,400	$2,739
NAICS 48-49 Transportation and warehousing NAICS 48-49	99	$87,943	$296,334	−$576,866	$2,199
NAICS 44-45 Retail trade NAICS 44-45	8	$32,586	$90,277	−$782,923	$815

Subsector	Employment	Avg annual wage	Affordable home price	vs. median value	Affordable monthly rent
NAICS 611 Educational services NAICS 611	2,026	$56,055	$177,636	−$695,564	$1,401
NAICS 561 Administrative and support services NAICS 561	1,856	$47,832	$147,027	−$726,173	$1,196
NAICS 621 Ambulatory health care services NAICS 621	1,167	$87,841	$295,954	−$577,246	$2,196
NAICS 238 Specialty trade contractors NAICS 238	1,049	$75,097	$248,517	−$624,683	$1,877
NAICS 541 Professional, scientific, and technical services NAICS 541	898	$102,822	$351,719	−$521,481	$2,571
NAICS 922 Justice, public order, and safety activities NAICS 922	689	$88,116	$296,978	−$576,222	$2,203
NAICS 487 Scenic and sightseeing transportation NAICS 487	617	$52,393	$164,005	−$709,195	$1,310
NAICS 813 Religious, grantmaking, civic, professional, and similar organizations NAICS 813	574	$46,199	$140,949	−$732,251	$1,155
NAICS 926 Administration of economic programs NAICS 926	481	$68,037	$222,237	−$650,963	$1,701
NAICS 459 Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers NAICS 459	346	$33,852	$94,989	−$778,211	$846
NAICS 925 Administration of housing programs, urban planning, and community development NAICS 925	289	$66,005	$214,673	−$658,527	$1,650
NAICS 522 Credit intermediation and related activities NAICS 522	276	$65,949	$214,465	−$658,735	$1,649
NAICS 311 Food manufacturing NAICS 311	270	$35,011	$99,303	−$773,897	$875
NAICS 923 Administration of human resource programs NAICS 923	239	$81,823	$273,553	−$599,647	$2,046
NAICS 811 Repair and maintenance NAICS 811	220	$57,123	$181,612	−$691,588	$1,428
NAICS 712 Museums, historical sites, and similar institutions NAICS 712	188	$47,351	$145,237	−$727,963	$1,184
NAICS 928 National security and international affairs NAICS 928	160	$113,666	$392,084	−$481,116	$2,842
NAICS 112 Animal production and aquaculture NAICS 112	141	$47,463	$145,654	−$727,546	$1,187
NAICS 551 Management of companies and enterprises NAICS 551	138	$109,560	$376,800	−$496,400	$2,739
NAICS 711 Performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries NAICS 711	125	$30,776	$83,539	−$789,661	$769
NAICS 457 Gasoline stations and fuel dealers NAICS 457	117	$36,580	$105,144	−$768,056	$915
NAICS 924 Administration of environmental quality programs NAICS 924	106	$72,867	$240,216	−$632,984	$1,822
NAICS 485 Transit and ground passenger transportation NAICS 485	100	$40,447	$119,538	−$753,662	$1,011
NAICS 491 Postal service NAICS 491	99	$87,943	$296,334	−$576,866	$2,199
NAICS 484 Truck transportation NAICS 484	89	$63,397	$204,966	−$668,234	$1,585
NAICS 517 Telecommunications NAICS 517	81	$95,893	$325,927	−$547,273	$2,397
NAICS 449 Furniture, home furnishings, electronics, and appliance retailers NAICS 449	71	$66,752	$217,454	−$655,746	$1,669
NAICS 562 Waste management and remediation services NAICS 562	71	$62,126	$200,235	−$672,965	$1,553
NAICS 513 Publishing industries NAICS 513	64	$285,026	$1,029,944	+$156,744	$7,126
NAICS 921 Executive, legislative, and other general government support NAICS 921	48	$79,728	$265,755	−$607,445	$1,993
NAICS 325 Chemical manufacturing NAICS 325	48	$62,698	$202,364	−$670,836	$1,567
NAICS 516 Broadcasting and content providers NAICS 516	33	$46,704	$142,829	−$730,371	$1,168
NAICS 332 Fabricated metal product manufacturing NAICS 332	16	$54,481	$171,777	−$701,423	$1,362
NAICS 339 Miscellaneous manufacturing NAICS 339	16	$47,059	$144,150	−$729,050	$1,176
NAICS 445 Food and beverage retailers NAICS 445	8	$32,586	$90,277	−$782,923	$815

Affordable home price assumes the industry's average earner uses 30% of gross income for housing, with a 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr taxes & insurance, and 0.5% PMI. Adjust the Section 3 calculator for other terms. Affordable rent is 30% of monthly gross pay.

Source: BLS QCEW Annual Averages, 2024; ACS 5-year 2024 (median home value).

Section 5

Wages by Occupation

Selected essential-worker occupations for the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county — jobs, the 10-year change, wages, and the housing each typical earner can afford. Both jobs counts and wages are reported at the MSA / nonmetropolitan-area level (BLS does not publish OEWS at the county level), so every county inside the same area shows the same numbers. For county-accurate employment totals, see Section 4 above.

Occupational wages and affordable housing

Occupation	2025 jobs	2015–2025 change	% change	Hourly wage	Annual wage	Affordable home price	Affordable monthly rent
Fast Food and Counter Workers SOC 35-3023 · prior-year code differs	4,280	1,860	77%	$17.91	$37,240	$107,600	$931
Cashiers SOC 41-2011	2,410	70	3%	$18.79	$39,090	$114,487	$977
Childcare Workers SOC 39-9011	260	(230)	(47%)	$18.91	$39,330	$115,380	$983
Retail Salespersons SOC 41-2031	3,840	(130)	(3%)	$19.42	$40,400	$119,363	$1,010
Tellers SOC 43-3071	450	20	5%	$20.51	$42,670	$127,813	$1,067
Janitors and Cleaners SOC 37-2011	1,900	(680)	(26%)	$20.89	$43,460	$130,753	$1,087
Office Clerks, General SOC 43-9061	2,560	380	17%	$21.34	$44,390	$134,215	$1,110
Home Health and Personal Care Aides SOC 31-1131 · prior-year code differs	960	(550)	(36%)	$22.39	$46,580	$142,367	$1,165
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General SOC 49-9071	1,540	240	18%	$29.20	$60,730	$195,038	$1,518
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers SOC 53-3032	650	(30)	(4%)	$29.68	$61,730	$198,760	$1,543
Firefighters SOC 33-2011	500	(90)	(15%)	$32.84	$68,300	$223,216	$1,708
Waiters and Waitresses SOC 35-3031	2,840	(80)	(3%)	$33.40	$69,470	$227,571	$1,737
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education SOC 25-2021	1,180	570	93%	—	$70,690	$232,113	$1,767
Construction Laborers SOC 47-2061	900	80	10%	$34.25	$71,240	$234,160	$1,781
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters SOC 47-2152	380	70	23%	$36.69	$76,320	$253,069	$1,908
Carpenters SOC 47-2031	990	130	15%	$39.95	$83,090	$278,270	$2,077
Electricians SOC 47-2111	470	130	38%	$40.20	$83,610	$280,205	$2,090
Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers SOC 33-3051	520	110	27%	$40.31	$83,840	$281,061	$2,096
Registered Nurses SOC 29-1141	1,970	220	13%	$58.00	$120,640	$418,043	$3,016

Affordable home price uses the same Section 3 formula (30% housing budget, 30-year mortgage at 7%, 5% down, $2,500/yr T&I, 0.5% PMI). Affordable rent is 30% of monthly wages. Negative job-change values are shown in red parentheses. A "prior-year code differs" note flags occupations whose SOC code changed between the two vintages (2010 SOC → 2018 SOC) — the change estimate is best-effort.

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (10-year change vs. May 2015). Jobs counts and wages reflect the MSA or nonmetropolitan area containing this county, not the county alone — OEWS is not published at the county level.

Methodology & sources

All figures derive from the 2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates. State and national comparisons are population-weighted aggregates of county-level estimates (an approximation; ACS publishes its own state and national medians which can differ slightly).

The affordability calculator uses a 30% housing-budget rule with a 30-year mortgage. Defaults are 7% interest, 5% down, $2,500/year taxes and insurance, and 0.5% PMI — adjustable above.

Variables: 15007 · pulled from Full Housing Data Table.xlsx.