Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Settled in 1949, this town now has 2,718 residents.
The best of Lawai’s subject grades is an A− for health; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Lawai’s January low is 66°F, against 64°F in Hawaii’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 8 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do worse. Lawai has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Where Lawai beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Lawai’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Lawai is from typical.
Lawai has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2021 and 3 maps from 1963 on.
Lawai is unincorporated, so Kauai County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Lawai.
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Lawai than in 88% of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Lawai after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
In Lawai, 41% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Of 32 CDC measures, Lawai beats the Hawaii average on 4 and trails it on 2. Only 5 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of adults who feel lonely than Lawai.
| Lawai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 45% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 25% |
| What stands out | Lawai | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 19.2% | 23% |
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 25.2% | 30.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.4% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Lawai rose by 103, to 301. Commuting out is the norm in the town: 3% of working residents work locally. Its mean commuting time comes in at 19 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 11 miles.
| Lawai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.8% | 3.7% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 66° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Lawai, the trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile. Walkers can cover 0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The town has one park or preserve, 9 acres in all.
| Lawai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.8% | 12% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lihue-Koloa Forest Reserve | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
38% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Lawai. The age mix tracks Hawaii closely: no broad group is more than 4 points off.
| Lawai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 31% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 20% | 18% |
44% women, 56% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6.6 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Lawai | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.3% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.1% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.8% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.2% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.2% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.2% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.7% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.5% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.2% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,700, single groups can be off by several points
Lawai’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $1,747 a month. The share of households in Lawai who live in a home they own: 71%.
| Lawai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,747 a month | $2,017 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Lawai. Close and well known come first.
11 mi LandmarkRussian Fort Elizabeth
20 mi State parkNā Pali Coast State Park
14 mi Canyon & gorgeWaimea Canyon State Park
2 mi GardenAllerton Garden
21 mi BeachHanakapiai Beachin town GardenNational Tropical Botanical GardenRussian Fort Elizabeth: en:User:Mel29, Public domain · Nā Pali Coast State Park: Jmblanco74, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waimea Canyon State Park: Aaronbernstein, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allerton Garden: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hanakapiai Beach: Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 2.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Lawai
About 4 of every 100 Lawai residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Lāwaʻi is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kauaʻi County in the U.S. state of Hawaiʻi. The population was 2,718 at the 2024 census, up from 1,984 at the 2000 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Lawai.
Omao has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Lawai, Omao and Kalaheo report no FBI crime data of their own. Lawai and Kalaheo aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Lawai with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Lawai has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).
Yes. The typical home is worth about $850,000, 2% above the Hawaii typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
