About nine in ten adults aged 25 to 54 in Kalawao County, Hawaii, have a job

In Kalawao County, 12.2% of adults aged 25 to 54 were not working. That is lower than in 93% of U.S. counties.

Photo of Ross Kilburn
Data from
County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026
5th
of 5 counties in Hawaii
12score /100

Less distressed than 87% of U.S. counties.

What drives Kalawao County's score

In Kalawao County, housing costs are the highest-scoring part, at 50.0. Jobs are the lowest part, at 5.7.

The County Distress Index looks at five parts of household money trouble in Kalawao County: jobs, late payments on loans, income and the safety net, collections and bankruptcy, and housing costs. Each part is scored from 0 to 100, and a higher score means worse off than other counties.

Even so, Kalawao County is worse off than most counties on people with a disability (25.8%, 2020 to 2024).

A longer bar means more trouble. See how the county score works.

  • Housing costs

    Biggest factor
    50.0 of 100

    Renters, 2020–24 Census survey; HUD's fair market rents, fiscal year 2027

    • Renters paying half their income or more in rent
      0.0% · 2020 to 2024
      5th or lower percentile
    • Rent on a two-bedroom as a share of the median income
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · fiscal year 2027
      top 5%

  • Income and safety net

    31.4 of 100

    Poverty and income, 2024; disability and insurance, 2020–24 Census survey

    • People below the poverty line
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · 2024
      19th percentile
    • Children below the poverty line
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · 2024
      20th percentile
    • People with a disability
      25.8% · 2020 to 2024
      top 5%
    • People without health insurance
      4.5% · 2020 to 2024
      13th percentile
    • Median household income (lower income, longer bar)
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · 2024
      7th percentile

  • Late payments

    25.6 of 100

    Credit records, August 2025

    • People with a credit card behind
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · August 2025
      28th percentile
    • People with a car or retail loan behind
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · August 2025
      28th percentile
    • People with a subprime credit score
      not published for this county; scored at the state median
      19th percentile

  • Collections and bankruptcy

    20.6 of 100

    Credit records, August 2025; bankruptcy filings, 2025

    • People with unpaid debt sent to a collector
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · August 2025
      21st percentile
    • Bankruptcy filings per 100,000 people
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · 2025
      20th percentile

  • Jobs

    5.7 of 100

    Unemployment through Sep 2026; adults not working, 2020–24 Census survey

    • Unemployment rate, average over the latest year
      not published for this county; scored at the state median · Oct 2025 to Sep 2026
      5th or lower percentile
    • Adults 25 to 54 not working
      12.2% · 2020 to 2024
      6th percentile

Sources: Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents and Census income; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. County Distress Index by American Default Research, from data through Sep 2026.

How Kalawao County has changed

MeasureThenNowSource
People below the poverty lineCensus SAIPE 1993 0.0% 2006 0.0% Census SAIPE
Median household incomeCensus SAIPE 1993 $8,746 2006 $0 Census SAIPE

Figures are as each agency published them, not adjusted for prices.

Dated events in Kalawao County's history

  1. 1900

    The county's largest recorded population was the 1900 Census count of 1,177. The 2020 Census counted 82, 7% of the peak. Census Bureau

  2. 1905

    Founded in 1905. Wikipedia

  3. Since 1992

    2 federal disaster and emergency declarations have covered Kalawao County. FEMA

Kalawao County beside its neighbors

All four counties that border Kalawao County score higher than it does.

CountyDistress scoreScoreRank in its state Poverty rateBenefit checks, share of incomeBenefit checks
Hawaii County, HI 43 1st of 5 15.7% 25.4%
Maui County, HI 26 2nd of 5 9.9% —
Honolulu County, HI 20 3rd of 5 8.8% 16.1%
Kauai County, HI 16 4th of 5 9.5% 20.3%
Kalawao County, HI 12 5th of 5 0.0% —

Distress score: American Default Research, County Distress Index, data through Sep 2026; each county scored against all 3,144. Poverty rate: Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2006. Benefit checks: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Neighbors share a border, from Census county maps.

Is Kalawao County the poorest county in Hawaii?

No, Kalawao County's poverty rate was 0.0% in 2006, the lowest of 5 in Hawaii (U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). By that measure the poorest county in the state is Hawaii County, at 13.8%. On our distress index, which counts more than poverty, Kalawao County ranks 5th of 5 in the state.

If you're behind on your mortgage in Kalawao County

Housing counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development work at nonprofit agencies. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau describes free foreclosure-avoidance counseling, including help with mortgage-company conversations and available options Source CFPB.

Hawaii foreclosure guide →

The score, its 14 measures and their sources, in one file. Free to use with credit to American Default Research.

Download the CSV for Kalawao County · Every U.S. county (CSV)

Cite this Kalawao County, Hawaii, scores 12 on the County Distress Index (data through Sep 2026): less distressed than 87% of U.S. counties · American Default Research · americandefault.org/counties/hawaii/kalawao-county-hi/

Sources and method

  • American Default Research · County Distress Index Data through Sep 2026, built from Urban Institute, Debt in America; Equifax via the St. Louis Fed; U.S. Courts, Table F-5A; Census Bureau, American Community Survey; HUD Fair Market Rents and Census income; Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates. The County Distress Index is American Default Research's own calculation; the Urban Institute does not produce or endorse it. Our methodology
  • Urban Institute · Debt in America Breno Braga, Signe-Mary McKernan, Samantha Atherton, and Kassandra Martinchek, "Debt in America," last updated November 20, 2025, https://datacatalog.urban.org/dataset/debt-america-2025. Licensed under ODC-By 1.0.
  • Rent on a two-bedroom and household income The rent share compares HUD fair market rent for fiscal year 2027 with Census Bureau median household income for 2024. The page calls this the typical household's income.
  • History The agencies named in each row and the linked records above.