County food-access profile · Hawaii
Kauai County, HI
Distance to a supermarket is a real obstacle for a meaningful share of Kauai County residents. This profile covers who qualifies as a food desert here and the income, SNAP, and vehicle-access context behind it, from the USDA Food Access Research Atlas (2019) and the Census ACS (2024).
- 34.2%
- low-access pop.
- 0
- food-desert tracts
- 11.3%
- on SNAP
- 74K
- residents (ACS 2024)
The food-access picture
34.2% of Kauai County residents live in a low-access area, though none of its tracts meet the USDA food-desert threshold.
- 7
- low-access tracts
- 5K
- food-desert residents
- 4.0%
- households, no vehicle
- 9.1%
- below poverty line
Low access = living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket. Food deserts add a low-income condition (USDA LILA, 1-and-10-mile measure).
USDA data puts Kauai County's low-access share at 34.2%, above the national share. 7 of the county's 14 census tracts are classified low-access, meaning residents there live far from a supermarket, an area covering about 22,944 people. None of them meet the low-income condition that would additionally classify them as food deserts.
How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts
The USDA measures food access by distance to the nearest supermarket. A census tract is "low-access" when a meaningful share of residents live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas, or more than ten miles in rural areas. A tract becomes a "food desert" only when it is both low-access and low-income, because distance is far harder to overcome for households without a car or a cushion in the budget. Counts on this page are aggregated from the tract level, where the federal data is actually published, so a single county figure can hide neighbourhoods that are much better or much worse served than the average. Distance also does not capture everything that shapes whether a family eats well: the presence of a full-service grocer rather than a convenience store, public transit, food pantries, and the price and quality of what is on the shelf all matter beyond the radius the Atlas can draw.
How Kauai County compares nationally
Relative to the 3,133 U.S. counties with USDA food-access data, Kauai County's 34.2% low-access share is elevated, higher than 79% of them and ranked #656 most-affected nationwide.
Kauai County: USDA Food-Access Tier Breakdown
All 14 census tracts in Kauai County, grouped by USDA classification (see "How the USDA defines low-access and food-desert tracts" above for what each tier means).
Kauai County vs. other Hawaii counties
Share of the population living in low-access areas, compared with other counties in Hawaii
- Kauai
Kauai County, HI
34.2 % low-access
- Hawaii
Hawaii County, HI
31.3 % low-access
- Honolulu
Honolulu County, HI
25.2 % low-access
- Kalawao 0
Kalawao County, HI
0 % low-access
- Maui
Maui County, HI
27 % low-access
Food Access (USDA FARA 2019)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Census Tracts | 14 |
| Atlas Population (2010 basis) | 67,091 |
| Low-Access Tracts | 7 |
| Food-Desert Tracts (low-income & low-access) | 0 |
| Low-Access Population | 22,944 |
| Low-Access Share | 34.2%well above the national average |
| Low-Income & Low-Access Population | 4,957 |
Demographics & Assistance (Census ACS 2024)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Population | 73,731 |
| Median Household Income | $97,668 |
| Poverty Rate | 9.1%below the national average |
| SNAP Households | 2,680 |
| SNAP Participation Rate | 11.3%near the national average |
| Households Without a Vehicle | 4.0%well below the national average |
| Group-Quarters Population | 1.0% |
About 11.3% of Kauai County households receive SNAP, versus a U.S. county median in the 11–13% range (Census ACS).
What this means
- 34.2% of residents are low-access, above the national share for U.S. counties.
- 11.3% of households receive SNAP, the federal program that offsets food costs for 2,680 households here.
- 4.0% of households have no vehicle, the hidden multiplier that turns distance into a real barrier.
- Median household income is $97,668 with a 9.1% poverty rate.
USDA low-access figures reflect the 2019 Atlas (2010 tract populations); socioeconomic context is the latest Census ACS 5-year (2024).
What the food-access data shows for Kauai County
above the national share
A further 7 tracts are low-access but not low-income, bringing the total low-access tract count to 7.
An estimated 22,944 residents, roughly 34.2% of the county's 2010 population, live in one of these low-access areas.
Of those, 4,957 are also low-income, the group most exposed to genuine food hardship, since limited transportation compounds a limited budget.
The remaining 7 tracts (50.0%) meet the USDA's adequate-access threshold.
SNAP retailers in Kauai County
Kauai County has 65 stores currently authorized to accept SNAP (EBT) benefits, across 13 store categories. Convenience Store lead with 20 locations (31% of the total), followed by super store.
Convenience Store · 20
- 7-eleven 54134, hanamaulu
- 7-eleven 54213, lihue
- 7-eleven 54288, lawai
- abc stores 59, lihue
- abc store 58, kapaa
- hokulei village texaco, lihue
- island country markets 93, kapaa
- koloa texaco 93871, koloa
- lihue texaco 97619, lihue
- menehune food mart kapahi 1125, kapaa
- menehune food mart kekaha 1124, kekaha
- rainbow shell, kapaa
- shell kapaa 1326, kapaa
- shell kilauea 1327, kilauea
- umi's store llc, waimea
- vim n vigor, lihue
- whalers general store 1158, anahola
- wailua country store, kapaa
- wainiha country market, hanalei
- whalers general store 1253, koloa
Super Store · 10
- big save eleele 29, eleele
- big save hanalei 30, hanalei
- big save kapaa 31, kapaa
- big save koloa 32, koloa
- big save waimea 33, waimea
- costco wholesale 0640, lihue
- foodland princeville 30, princeville
- target store t3400, lihue
- times super mkt lihue 26, lihue
- walmart 2308, lihue
Farmers' Market · 8
- ahk farmstand, kilauea
- anaina hou community park, kilauea
- hale puna farmer's market, waimea
- hanalei farmers market, hanalei
- mahalo market, kapaa
- moloa'a aina center, kilauea
- nourish kauai nafmnp, kapa'a
- waimanalo beach park, kapolei
Supermarket · 7
- healthy hut, kilauea
- hoku foods natural market, kapaa
- kilauea market + cafe 2810, kilauea
- papaya's natural foods kp, kapaa
- safeway 1209, kapaa
- safeway 2894, lihue
- sueoka market 96, koloa
Combination Grocery/Other · 6
- cvs 10474, poipu
- cvs pharmacy 9189, lihue
- cvs pharmacy 9952, kapaa
- cvs/pharmacy 7669, eleele
- healthgo market inc. 2, lihue
- living foods, koloa
Small Grocery Store · 5
- kukuiula store, inc., koloa
- lawai market, kalaheo
- penchie s cabasag, lihue
- salt pond country store, hanapepe
- thrifty mini mart, kekaha
Medium Grocery Store · 3
- hanalei market, hanalei
- roses pinoy favorites, lihue
- tj variety store 1, lihue
Bakery Specialty · 1
- thrifty mart, kaumakani
Delivery Route · 1
- kauai seafood, kapaa
Fruits/Veg Specialty · 1
- ohi ohi farms, kilauea
Large Grocery Store · 1
- hoku foods natural market rs2, koloa
Meat/Poultry Specialty · 1
- medeiros farm, inc, kalaheo
Seafood Specialty · 1
- lawai'a fish co., lihue
Source: USDA SNAP Retailer Locator, currently authorized retailers.
Other Counties in Hawaii
Compare Kauai County vs Hawaii County → · All Hawaii counties →
Food access nationally, Hawaii in context
Kauai County sits inside Hawaii (ringed). Each state is colored by its population-weighted low-access share; click any state to compare.
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019), population-weighted · Census ACS 2024 context
Understand the Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What share of Kauai County has low food access? ▼
What is the SNAP participation rate in Kauai County? ▼
What is the poverty rate in Kauai County? ▼
Is Kauai County a food desert? ▼
What share of Kauai County households lack a vehicle? ▼
Data Sources & Methodology
USDA Economic Research Service, Food Access Research Atlas (2019): low-access and food-desert tract classifications, low-access population, and low-income low-access counts. ers.usda.gov/food-access-research-atlas
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2024 5-Year Estimates: population, median income, poverty, SNAP participation, vehicle access, and group quarters. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
Low access is defined as living more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket; a food desert adds a low-income condition. Read the full methodology →
Data current as of (most recent source-data vintage; figures reflect the 2019 USDA Atlas and 2024 Census ACS).
Note: This page presents public USDA and Census data for informational purposes and is not professional advice. Figures reflect the cited dataset vintages and may differ from the most recent local conditions. How this data is sourced & verified.