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Hawaii County, Hawaii

Coordinates:19°35′N155°30′W/ 19.583°N 155.500°W/19.583; -155.500
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Hawaii County
W. H. Shipman House
Official seal of Hawaii County
Map of Hawaii highlighting Hawaii County
Location within the U.S. state ofHawaii
Map of the United States highlighting Hawaii
Hawaii's location within theU.S.
Coordinates:19°35′N155°30′W/ 19.58°N 155.5°W/19.58; -155.5
CountryUnited States
StateHawaii
Founded1905
Named forHawaii (Island)
SeatHilo
Largest communityHilo
Government
MayorMitch Roth
Area
• Total5,086.70 sq mi (13,174.5 km2)
• Land4,028.02 sq mi (10,432.5 km2)
• Water1,058.69 sq mi (2,742.0 km2) 20.81%
Population
• Total200,629
• Density46/sq mi (17.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−10(Hawaii–Aleutian)
Congressional district2nd
Websitewww.hawaiicounty.gov

Hawaii County(Hawaiian:Kalana o Hawaiʻi;officially known as theCounty of Hawaiʻi) is acountyin theU.S. stateof Hawaii in theHawaiian Islands.It is coextensive with theIsland of Hawaii,often called the "Big Island" to distinguish it from the state as a whole. The2020 Censuspopulation was 200,629.[1]Thecounty seatisHilo.There are noincorporated citiesin Hawaii County (seeHawaii Counties). The HiloMicropolitan Statistical Areaincludes all of Hawaii County. Hawaii County has amayor–councilform of government. In terms of geography, Hawaii County is the most expansive county in the state and the most southerly county in the United States.

Themayor of Hawaii Countyis Mitch Roth, who took office in 2020. Legislative authority is vested in the nine-member Hawaii County Council.

Hawaii County is one of seven counties in the United States to share the same name as the state they are in (the other six areArkansas County,Idaho County,Iowa County,New York County,Oklahoma County,andUtah County).[2]

Geography

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Hawaii County has a total area of 5,086.70 square miles (13,174.5 km2); 4,028.02 square miles (10,432.5 km2) is land and 1,058.69 square miles (2,742.0 km2) is water[3](mostly all off the ocean shoreline but counted in the total area by the U.S. Census Bureau). The county's land area comprises 62.7 percent of the state's land area. It is the highest percentage by any county in the United States. (Delaware'sSussex Countycomes in second at 48.0 percent, while Rhode Island'sProvidence Countyis third at 39.55 percent.)

Major highways

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Adjacent county

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note
190046,843
191055,38218.2%
192064,89517.2%
193073,32513.0%
194073,276−0.1%
195068,350−6.7%
196061,332−10.3%
197063,4683.5%
198092,05345.0%
1990120,31730.7%
2000148,67723.6%
2010185,07924.5%
2020200,6298.4%
2023 (est.)207,615[4]3.5%

As of 2010,the island had a resident population of 185,079.[5]There were 64,382 households in the county. Thepopulation densitywas 17.7/km2(46/sq mi). There were 82,324 housing units at an average density of 8/km2(21/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 34.5%White,29.2% from two or more races, 22.6%Asian,12.4%Native Hawaiianor otherPacific Islanderand 0.7%African American;11.8% of the population wereHispanics or Latinosof any race. The largest ancestry groups were:

  • 9.8% Japanese
  • 9.6% German
  • 8.6% Filipino
  • 8.5% Native Hawaiian
  • 8.3% Portuguese
  • 6.9% Irish
  • 5.7% English
  • 5.1% Puerto Rican
  • 3.2% Mexican
  • 2.5% French
  • 2.2% Italian
  • 1.9% Spanish
  • 1.7% Scottish
  • 1.5% Scotch-Irish
  • 1.5% Swedish
  • 1.1% Polish
  • 1.1% Dutch
  • 1.0% Norwegian

There were 64,382 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% weremarried couplesliving together, 13.2% had a woman whose husband did not live with her, and 30.4% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.24.

The age distribution was 26.1% under 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 100 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98 males.

41.3% of the people on Hawaii island are religious, meaning they affiliate with a religion. 18.4% are Catholic; 3.7% are of another Christian faith; 5.1% are LDS; 5.0% are of an Eastern faith; 0.1% are Muslim.[citation needed]

Government and infrastructure

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County government

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Executive authority is vested in themayor of Hawaii County,who is elected for a four-year term. Since 2004, the election by the voters has been on a nonpartisan basis. In 2020, Mitch Roth was elected mayor, succeedingHarry Kim,who lost reelection after being defeated in the primary election.[6]Legislative authority is vested in a nine-member County Council. Members of the County Council are elected on a nonpartisan basis to two-year terms from single-member districts.[7]As of December 2016, Hawaii County Council has a female supermajority for the first time, with six women and three men.[8]

Administrative districts were originally based on the traditional land divisions calledMokuofAncient Hawaii.Some more heavily populated districts have since been split into North and South districts to make them more comparable on a population basis.

The number following each district is the Tax Map Key (TMK) number, used to locate state property information. They are assigned in a counter-clockwise order beginning on the eastern side of the island.[9]

Nr. District Area
mi2
Population
2000
moku Map
1 Puna 499.45 31,335 Puna District subdivision of Hawaii County
2 South Hilo 394.38 47,386 Hilo
3 North Hilo 370.65 1,720 Hilo
4 Hāmākua 580.50 6,108 Hāmākua
5 North Kohala 132.92 6,038 Kohala
6 South Kohala 351.72 13,131 Kohala
7 North Kona 489.01 28,543 Kona
8 South Kona 335.38 8,589 Kona
9 Kaʻū 922.22 5,827 Kaʻū
Hawaiʻi County 4028.02 148,677 6moku

County council districts do not directly match the property tax districts because of the variation in the population density of voters in urban areas to rural areas; Hilo & Kailua (Kailua-Kona) towns are densely populated areas, while other districts such as Kaʻū, Puna, Hāmākua, and North & South Kohala are more sparsely populated.[10]

Several government functions are administered at the county level that are at the state or municipal level in other states. For example, the county has its own office of liquor control.[11]

State government

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Hawaii Department of Public Safetypreviously operated theKulani Correctional Facilityin Hawaii County, on theIsland of Hawaii.[12]In 2009, the Hawaii Department of Public Safety announced that Kulani Correctional Facility would close.[13]

Presidential election results

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United States presidential election results for Hawaii County, Hawaii[14]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2020 26,897 30.63% 58,731 66.88% 2,186 2.49%
2016 17,501 26.98% 41,259 63.61% 6,107 9.41%
2012 14,753 23.25% 47,224 74.42% 1,477 2.33%
2008 14,866 22.22% 50,819 75.94% 1,231 1.84%
2004 22,032 38.18% 35,116 60.86% 554 0.96%
2000 17,050 33.52% 28,670 56.37% 5,140 10.11%
1996 13,516 27.60% 27,262 55.66% 8,199 16.74%
1992 15,460 30.36% 25,725 50.52% 9,731 19.11%
1988 17,125 41.00% 24,091 57.68% 552 1.32%
1984 20,707 52.90% 17,866 45.64% 570 1.46%
1980 14,247 39.73% 17,630 49.16% 3,984 11.11%
1976 15,366 48.37% 15,960 50.24% 439 1.38%
1972 16,832 59.09% 11,652 40.91% 0 0.00%
1968 9,625 37.41% 15,819 61.49% 283 1.10%
1964 4,962 19.87% 20,011 80.13% 0 0.00%
1960 12,251 51.46% 11,557 48.54% 0 0.00%

Localities

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Census-designated places

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Other communities

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National protected areas

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Economy

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Top employers

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According to the county's 2021Annual Comprehensive Financial Report,[15]the top employers in the county are the following:

# Employer # of Employees
1 State of Hawaii 16,700
2 Kamehameha Schools, Hawai'i Island 3,380
3 Hawaii County 2,800
4 United States Government 1,300
5 Mauna Kea Beach Hotel 1,100
6 Four Seasons Resort Hualalai 1,003
7 KTA Super Stores 900
8 Hilton Waikoloa Village 850
9 The Fairmont Orchid 560
10 Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort 259

Education

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TheHawaii Department of Educationoperates public schools in Hawaii County.[16]

Sister cities

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Hawaii County'ssister citiesare:[17]

References

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  1. ^"HAWAII: 2020 Census".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedApril 4,2022.
  2. ^Joseph Nathan Kane; Charles Curry Aiken (2005).The American Counties: Origins of County Names, Dates of Creation, and Population Data, 1950-2000.Scarecrow Press.ISBN978-0-8108-5036-1.
  3. ^"Census 2000 U.S. Gazetteer Files: Counties".United States Census. Archived fromthe originalon May 12, 2011.RetrievedFebruary 13,2011.
  4. ^"Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedMarch 31,2024.
  5. ^"Hawaii County QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau".Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2011.RetrievedJune 28,2014.
  6. ^"Office of the Mayor".official web site.County of Hawaii.RetrievedDecember 11,2020.
  7. ^"Hawaiʻi County Council".official web site.Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2011.RetrievedMarch 27,2010.
  8. ^"Poindexter tabbed to be council chairwoman; Will lead first female super majority council in county's history | Hawaii Tribune-Herald".Archived fromthe originalon December 28, 2017.RetrievedDecember 28,2017.
  9. ^Hawaii County: 2000[permanent dead link]
  10. ^"Hawaii County Council".official web site.Archived fromthe originalon July 8, 2011.RetrievedMarch 27,2010.
  11. ^"Office of Liquor Control".Hawaii County web site.Archived fromthe originalon November 23, 2010.RetrievedDecember 25,2010.
  12. ^"Kulani Correctional Facility."Hawaii Department of Public Safety.Retrieved on September 30, 2010.
  13. ^"Closure of Kulani Saves $2.8M Annually; Facility to Help At-Risk Youth."Hawaii Department of Public Safety.July 2009. Retrieved on September 30, 2010.
  14. ^Leip, David."Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".uselectionatlas.org.RetrievedMay 26,2017.
  15. ^Sako, Deanna."Annual Comprehensive Financial Report 2021".records.hawaiicounty.gov.RetrievedNovember 13,2023.
  16. ^"2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hawaii County, HI"(PDF).U.S. Census Bureau.RetrievedJuly 22,2022.-Text list
  17. ^"County of Hawai'i Official Sister Cities 2021".County of Hawaii. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2022.RetrievedDecember 20,2021.
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19°35′N155°30′W/ 19.583°N 155.500°W/19.583; -155.500