Kapa'au ( haw, Kapaau) 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 ...

Hawaii County, Hawaii Hawaii County ( haw, Kalana o Hawaiʻi) (officially known as the County of Hawaii) is a county in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. It is coextensive with the Island of Hawaii, often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it fr ...

, United States. Located at the northern tip of the

big island of Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii ) is the largest island in the United States, located in the state of Hawaii. It is the southeasternmost of the Hawaiian Islands, a chain of volcanic islands in the North Pacific Ocean. With an area of , it has 63% of t ...

, it is celebrated as the birthplace of

Kamehameha I Kamehameha I (; Kalani Paiea Wohi o Kaleikini Kealiikui Kamehameha o Iolani i Kaiwikapu kaui Ka Liholiho Kūnuiākea; – May 8 or 14, 1819), also known as Kamehameha the Great, was the conqueror and first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. Th ...

. For statistical purposes, 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 th ...

has defined Kapa'au as a

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, suc ...

(CDP). The census definition of the area may not precisely correspond to local understanding of the area with the same name. The population was 1,734 at the 2010 census, up from 1,159 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Kapa'au is in the North Kohala District of Hawaii County. It is bordered to the east by Halaula, and Hāwī is to the west. Hawaii Route 270 is the main road through the community. According to the

, the Kapa'au CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.09%, are water.

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 inc ...

of 2000, there were 1,159 people, 405 households, and 270 families residing in the CDP. The population density was . There were 443 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 23.47%

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 ...

, 0.09%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 27.44% Asian, 9.32%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 1.73% from other races, and 37.88% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 16.65% of the population. There were 405 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% 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 ...

living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.3% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.48. In the CDP the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males. The median income for a household in the CDP was $45,764, and the median income for a family was $50,703. Males had a median income of $30,694 versus $28,021 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 $17,131. About 4.7% of families and 7.8% 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 ...

, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

The King

Kamehameha Statue Several ''Kamehameha'' statues honor the monarch who founded the Kingdom of Hawaii. Original work The pictured statue stands prominently in front of Aliiolani Hale in Honolulu, Hawaii. The statue had its origins in 1878 when Walter M. Gibson, ...

was cast in 1888, lost at sea, and then recovered and erected at Kapa'au. His actual birthplace was a few miles away in the Kohala Historical Sites State Monument, a remote area not easily accessible. June 11 is the state holiday

Kamehameha Day King Kamehameha I Day on June 11 is a public holiday in the U.S. state of Hawaii. It honors Kamehameha the Great, the monarch who first established the unified Kingdom of Hawaii—comprising the Hawaiian Islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, ...

, celebrated by a parade through the town. StAugustinesKapaau

The Kauhola Point Lighthouse was on the coast about northeast of the town.Kauhola Point Lighthouse, Hawaii
at Lighthousefriends.com Kohala High & Elementary School is located in Kapa'au and serves students in grades K-12.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kapaau Census-designated places in Hawaii County, Hawaii Populated places on Hawaii (island)