Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety74#242/924
Economy90#98/925
Housing11#826/925
Health98#15/925
Healthcare90#93/923
Environment—
Education69#284/925
Infrastructure94#52/925
Community71#266/925
Leisure & amenities97#25/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Kapaa, HI micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Firearm deaths · low3.0 /100k
99/100Hawaii 3.8 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · low0.25%
99/100Hawaii 0.29%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Adult obesity · low24.1%
99/100Hawaii 26.2%United States 38.2%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · low2.2%
99/100Hawaii 2.4%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Life expectancy · high82.1 yrs
99/100Hawaii 81.4 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · low17.9%
98/100Hawaii 17.0%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high2,455 mi
0/100Hawaii 2,391 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high8.9×
1/100Hawaii 8.4×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Severe housing problems · high25.3%
1/100Hawaii 26.1%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high1,866 /100k
15/100Hawaii 1,604 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Social associations · low8.1 /10k
19/100Hawaii 6.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high52.0%
22/100Hawaii 56.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Unemployment rateImproving
16.3% (2020) → 2.2% (2025)
−14 pts5 yearsUS 8.1% → 4.3%
Firearm deathsImproving
9.9 /100k (2021) → 3.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−70%5 yearsUS 14.7 /100k → 12.1 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
84.6% (2015-2019) → 94.3% (2020-2024)
+9.7 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Voter turnoutWorsening
65.9% (2020) → 56.9% (2024)
−9 pts4 yearsUS 68.5% → 65.2%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
1.0 /10k (2020) → 1.4 /10k (2025)
+42%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Drug overdose deathsImproving
25.7 /100k (2021) → 14.9 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−42%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Kapaa, HI micropolitan area improved on 16 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 5 moved within the margin of error and 4 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Unemployment−14 points16.3% → 2.2%
Transit use+0.7 points0.6% → 1.4%
Firearm deaths−59%7.3 /100k → 3.0 /100k
Suicides−36%14.3 /100k → 9.2 /100k
Restaurants+19%14.1 /10k → 16.8 /10k

Declined6

Price / income+2.1×6.8× → 8.9×
Property crime+24%1,502 /100k → 1,866 /100k
Inequality+0.0300.416 → 0.446
Rent / income+2.8 points28.2% → 31.0%
Rent burden+6.1 points45.8% → 52.0%

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Kapaa, HI micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	11.7 /10k2020	14.0 /10k2025	+19%	Improved	73%
Average commute time	22.1 min2015-2019	22.4 min2020-2024	+0.3 min	Within the margin of error	55%
Average weekly wage	$9872020	$1,2122025	+23%	Improved	45%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.2%2015-2019	30.1%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Broadband subscriptions	84.6%2015-2019	94.3%2020-2024	+9.7 points	Improved	58%
Child poverty rate	9.0%2015-2019	11.5%2020-2024	+2.6 points	Within the margin of error	7%
Distance to an airport	10 mi2020	10 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	20.5 /100k2020	14.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−27%	Improved	54%
Effective property tax rate	0.31%2015-2019	0.25%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	25%
Firearm deaths	7.3 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−59%	Improved	99%
Grocery stores	2.9 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−5%	Declined	34%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+42%	Improved	86%
High school diploma or higher	92.5%2015-2019	93.1%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Home price to income ratio	6.8×2015-2019	8.9×2020-2024	+2.1×	Declined	0%
Income adjusted for local prices	$46,4512019	$63,1442024	+36%	Improved	76%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4162015-2019	0.4462020-2024	+0.030	Declined	7%
Median household income	$83,5542015-2019	$97,6682020-2024	+17%	Improved	7%
New business applications	12.3 /1k2020	15.6 /1k2025	+26%	Improved	22%
Pharmacies	2.6 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	+5%	Little change	84%
Poverty rate	8.1%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	+1 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Property crime rate	1,502 /100k2020	1,866 /100k2025	+24%	Declined	2%
Public libraries	0.8 /10k2019	0.8 /10k2024	−1.7%	Little change	50%
Public transit commuters	0.6%2015-2019	1.4%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Improved	99%
Rent as share of income	28.2%2015-2019	31.0%2020-2024	+2.8 points	Declined	13%
Rent-burdened households	45.8%2015-2019	52.0%2020-2024	+6.1 points	Declined	13%
Restaurants and bars	14.1 /10k2020	16.8 /10k2025	+19%	Improved	92%
Suicide rate	14.3 /100k2020	9.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−36%	Improved	95%
Traffic deaths	9.2 /100k2015-2019	7.9 /100k2020-2024	−14%	Improved	82%
Unemployment rate	16.3%2020	2.2%2025	−14 points	Improved	100%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.1%2015-2019	4.9%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Improved	72%
Violent crime rate	269 /100k2020	233 /100k2025	−13%	Improved	45%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Kapaa, HI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Kapaa, HI micropolitan area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Kapaa, HI micropolitan area itself moved +0.4 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

73,731 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

23,632 households (±543)

Kapaa, HI micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k10%2,475
$25k–50k13%2,961
$50k–75k17%4,020

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

23,632 households (±543)

Kapaa, HI micropolitan area
United States share

Own69%16,210
Rent31%7,422

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

34,799 workers (±834)

Kapaa, HI micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone72%25,040
Carpool14%5,021
Public transit1.4%†474

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes no occupation wages for Kapaa, HI micropolitan area.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Kapaa, HI has 2,281 employer establishments, 310 for every 10,000 residents (1.25× the US rate of 248), with 27,099 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,587. The Census Bureau also counts 7,720 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,281; 7,720 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 310; US 248
Paid employees: 27,099
Average annual pay: $51,587; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Kapaa, HI by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	216	29.3	1.60×More than typical	3,633	$33,246	55
Specialty trade contractors	147	20	1.29×More than typical	909	$63,264	452
Ambulatory health care services	140	19	0.91×About typical	1,157	$60,817	322
Lessors of real estate	131	17.8	1.44×More than typical	656	$67,127	771
Services to buildings and dwellings	103	14	2.07×More than typical	1,349	$25,961	959
Construction of buildings	101	13.7	1.81×More than typical	690	$94,181	233
Clothing and accessories stores	97	13.2	3.63×More than typical	682	$31,160	115
Limited-service restaurants	91	12.4	1.54×More than typical	1,121	$28,688	19
Full-service restaurants	86	11.7	1.52×More than typical	2,191	$37,009	19
Landscaping services	58	7.9	2.25×More than typical	307	$39,945	334
Traveler accommodation	53	7.2	3.99×More than typical	3,902	$59,300	40
Building equipment contractors	52	7.1	1.17×About typical	250	$60,176	101

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 73,672 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $84.2M on contracts performed in Kapaa, HI micropolitan area: $1,147 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $84.2M; −6.9% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,147; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.8%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$74.7M89%
Missile Defense Agency$5.2M6.2%
Federal Aviation Administration$1.1M1.3%
U.S. Coast Guard$806.3K1.0%
USTRANSCOM$745K0.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs$663K0.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$380.9K0.5%
Department of the Air Force$145.8K0.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

101.7MFY2017
112.8MFY2018
143.4MFY2019
92.3MFY2020
106.7MFY2021
98MFY2022
105.4MFY2023
89.3M

Top industries (NAICS)

Facilities support services · 5612$61.6M73%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$12M14%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$5M6.0%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.3M1.6%
Nonscheduled air transportation · 4812$769.8K0.9%
Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities) · 6231

Largest awards

RANGE OPERATIONS SUPPORT AND BASE OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES AT THE PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, KEKAHA, HAWAII FA5 RANGE OPERATIONS SERVICES$149.4M
KOA LANI JV LLC· Kauai County, HI· Facilities & utilities· Mar 31, 2021 – Feb 13, 2026· N0060421FB050
RANGE OPERATIONS SUPPORT AND BASE OPERATIONS SUPPORT SERVICES AT THE PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY, KEKAHA, HAWAII CNRH BASE SUSTAINMENT-RECURRING SERVICES$59.5M
KOA LANI JV LLC· Kauai County, HI· Facilities & utilities· Mar 31, 2021 – Dec 18, 2025· N0060421FB002
FA5 RANGE OPERATIONS SERVICES TI-0001 TI-0002 TI-0003$35.1M
KOA LANI JV LLC· Kauai County, HI· Facilities & utilities· Jan 7, 2026 – Jun 1, 2026· N0060426FB309

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $464.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Kapaa, HI micropolitan area: $6,326 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $464.3M; −18% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,326; US $12,955
Loan face value: $16.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$341M73%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$33.8M7.3%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$20.3M4.4%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$18.8M4.1%
20.271 · Emergency Relief (ER) Program$15.4M3.3%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$14.1M3.0%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$6.3M1.4%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$5.6M1.2%

Top recipients (organizations)

KAUAI, COUNTY OF$14.3M3.1%
LIHUE, HI
THE STATE OF HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$12.9M2.8%
HONOLULU, HI
HO-OLA LAHUI HAWAII INC$4.6M1.0%
LIHUE, HI
CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICE$3.5M0.7%
EWA BEACH, HI
UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII$1.4M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$385.7M83%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$37.7M8.1%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$14.3M3.1%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Highway Administration$12.9M2.8%
Department of Transportation
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

511.4MFY2021
430.6MFY2022
539.2MFY2023
575.7MFY2024
565MFY2025
464.3MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Kapaa, HI

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Kauai CountyCentral county8673,400

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

KapaaPrincipal city11,094

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Hawaii

Areas based in Hawaii, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M28180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Kapaa, HI micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Kapaa, HI

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Hawaii

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought