Honolulu County vs Kauai County
Honolulu County, Hawaii versus Kauai County, Hawaii: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Honolulu County edges out Kauai County on overall objective livability (50 vs 39 of 100), though each leads on different factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Honolulu County | Kauai County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $100k | $89k |
| Cost of Living | $74k | $72k |
| Home Value | $832k | $743k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $2k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $3k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.28% | 0.23% |
| Income Tax | 11.00% | 11.00% |
| Sales Tax | 4.50% | 4.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 14.86% | 14.37% |
| Unemployment | 4.8% | 4.1% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 73°F | 72°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 80°F | 79°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 42.3 in | 48.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 260 days | 207 days |
| Summer Humidity | 68°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 75 days | 88 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 98.8 | 84.4 |
| Air Quality | 31 AQI | — |
| School Quality | 71.9 | — |
| Violent Crime | 1141/100k | 2029/100k |
| Property Crime | 2639/100k | 1746/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 1,010,100 | 73,511 |
| Median Age | 38.8 | 42.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.72 | 0.73 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.03 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+27 | D+29 |
| White (%) | 17.4% | 28.9% |
| Black (%) | 2.3% | 0.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| Asian (%) | 41.6% | 28.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 28.4% | 30.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 27 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 12.2/20 | 6.5/20 |
| Airport Distance | 12 mi | 136 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 90.7% | 92.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.84 | 0.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Honolulu County or Kauai County more affordable?
- Kauai County has the lower cost of living: its index is $72k, compared with Honolulu County's $74k and Kauai County's $72k. Median rent is $2k in Honolulu County versus $2k in Kauai County.
- Is Honolulu County or Kauai County safer?
- Honolulu County has the lower violent crime rate. Honolulu County reports 1141/100k and Kauai County reports 2029/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Honolulu County or Kauai County?
- The median home value is $832k in Honolulu County and $743k in Kauai County, so homes are more affordable in Kauai County.