Kōloa is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
and
census-designated place
A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only.
CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, such ...
(CDP) in
Kauai County
Kauai County ( haw, Kalana o Kauaʻi) (officially known as the County of Kauai) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It consists of the islands of Kauai, Niihau, Lehua, and Kaula. As of the 2020 Census the population was 73,298. The county ...
,
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
, United States. The population was 2,231 at the
2020 census,
up from 1,942 at the 2000 census. The first successful
sugarcane plantation
Sugarcane or sugar cane is a species of (often hybrid) tall, perennial grass (in the genus ''Saccharum'', tribe Andropogoneae) that is used for sugar production. The plants are 2–6 m (6–20 ft) tall with stout, jointed, fibrous stalks t ...
in the
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands ( haw, Nā Mokupuni o Hawai‘i) are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kur ...
was started here in 1835. It became a part of
Grove Farm in 1948.
The name ''Kōloa'' is often incorrectly translated as "native duck", which is the correct translation for the similar-looking ''koloa'' (without the
macron). ''Kōloa'' means "a long cane with a crook." According to one account, the district of Kōloa was named for a steep rock called Pali-o-kō-loa which was found in Waikomo Stream.
Geography
Kōloa is located on the southern side of the island of
Kauai
Kauai, () anglicized as Kauai ( ), is geologically the second-oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands (after Niʻihau). With an area of 562.3 square miles (1,456.4 km2), it is the fourth-largest of these islands and the 21st largest island ...
at (21.907137, -159.465877).
It is bordered to the northwest by
Omao and to the south by
Poipu.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the CDP has a total area of , all of it recorded as land. Waikomo Stream passes through the center of the community.
Demographics
As of the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...
of 2000, there were 1,942 people, 693 households, and 507 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 748 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 20.2%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.4%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 43.8%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 7.8%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...
, 1.2% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 26.4% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race were 11.4% of the population.
There were 693 households, out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were
married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 18.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the CDP the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 26.7% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.3 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $34,786, and the median income for a family was $43,393. Males had a median income of $31,125 versus $25,938 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the CDP was $16,224. About 16.7% of families and 17.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
The
Old Sugar Mill of Koloa
The Old Sugar Mill of Kōloa was part of the first commercially successful sugarcane plantation in Hawaii, which was founded in Kōloa on the island of Kauai in 1835 by Ladd & Company. This was the beginning of what would become Hawaii's larg ...
was the first major sugarcane plantation in Hawaii in 1835.
Missionary
Daniel Dole
Daniel Dole (September 9, 1808 – August 26, 1878) was a Protestant missionary educator from the United States to the Hawaiian Islands.
Life
Daniel Dole was born September 9, 1808, in Skowhegan, Maine. His father was Wigglesworth Dole (1779 ...
and his family opened a boarding school for
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
-speaking children, sometimes called the Koloa Academy, in 1855.
Places of interest
* Old Sugar Mill – A
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
. Founded in 1835, the Koloa sugar plantation and mill was the first successful large-scale sugar operation in the Hawaiian Islands.
* Poipu Bay Golf Course – Home of the
PGA Grand Slam of Golf PGA is an acronym or initialism that may stand for:
Aviation
* IATA code for Page Municipal Airport, Coconino County, Arizona
* ICAO designator for Portugália, regional airline based in Lisbon, Portugal
* Abbreviation for Prince George Airport ...
from 1994 to 2006
PGA Grand Slam of Golf Past Results
*Saint Raphael Catholic Church
In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Ortho ...
- The oldest Catholic church in Kauai
*Spouting Horn
Spouting Horn is a blowhole located on the southern coast of Kauai in the Koloa district. This area of Kauai is known for its crashing waves (nearby Poipu translates to "crashing"). These waves erode lava rocks on the coastline which can cr ...
*Hoʻai heiau
*Kaneiolouma Heiau
*Makauwahi Cave
Notable natives
* Raymond Kāne
Raymond Kaleoalohapoinaʻoleohelemanu Kāne (, ; October 2, 1925 - February 27, 2008), was one of Hawaii's acknowledged masters of the slack-key guitar. Born in Koloa, Kauaʻi, he grew up in Nanakuli on Oʻahu's Waiʻanae Coast where his ste ...
, slack-key guitar
Slack-key guitar (from Hawaiian ''kī hōalu'', which means "loosen the uningkey") is a fingerstyle genre of guitar music that originated in Hawaii after Portuguese cowboys introduced Spanish guitars there in the late 19th century. The Hawaiian ...
ist
* Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaʻole Piʻikoi, born at Hoʻai, Kualu in Koloa; Kuhio was an heir to the throne of Hawaiʻi, served as minister of the interior for the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi and later became the Republican delegate to the U.S. Congress in 1903.
References
Further reading
*Alexander, Arthur (1937). ''Koloa Plantation 1835 - 1935''. Honolulu, HI
''Star-Bulletin''
*Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association (1949). ''Sugar in Hawaii''. Honolulu, HI: Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association.
{{Authority control
Census-designated places in Kauai County, Hawaii
Populated places on Kauai
Populated places established in 1835
1835 establishments in Hawaii
Populated coastal places in Hawaii