Laie, Hawaii
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Lā‘ie is a community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Ko‘olauloa District on the Island of O‘ahu, City & County of Honolulu. In Hawaiian, lā‘ie means "‘ie leaf" (‘ie is a climbing pandanus: Freycinetia arborea). Lā‘ie is the largest town in the district with a total population of 4,585 according to the 2000 Census.
Lā‘ie is one of the largest communities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the site of the Lā‘ie Hawai‘i Temple, the fifth oldest Mormon temple in the world. Brigham Young University of Hawai‘i is located in Lā‘ie. The university's Polynesian Cultural Center, the state's largest living museum, draws millions of visitors annually and is considered the number one tourist destination in the islands.
Though small, Lā‘ie has had a profound impact on Hawaiian culture. Feasts on the beach in the 1940s inspired the "Hukilau Song," made famous by Arthur Godfrey, and the "Shaka sign" now commonly associated with Hawaii was born in Lā‘ie, in honor of Hamana Kalili, a respected local leader who had lost the index, middle and ring fingers of his right hand. In a twist of fate, Kalili provided the fishing nets used in the early hukilau gatherings, including the one which led to the song. Those gatherings led to the founding of the Polynesian Cultural Center in 1963.
The coastline is marked by a prominent lithified dune jutting out into the ocean as Lā‘ie Point (also known as Laniloa Point, the elevated land formation with Lā‘ie Pt. at its tip). Two other lithified dunes (Kukuiho‘olua and Mokuālai) lie just offshore of the point as scenic islets. Lā‘ie Beach Park, popularly known as Pounders Beach for the offshore surf site, is just south of the town. Lā‘ie Beach, also known as Hukilau Beach, is located at the north end of town, at the mouth of Kahawainui Stream.
The U.S. postal code for Lā‘ie is 96762.
Geography
HIMap-doton-Laie.PNG
Location of Laie, Hawaii
Lā‘ie is located at 21°38'55" North, 157°55'32" West (21.648500, -157.925569)Template:GR. This community is located north from Hau‘ula and south from Kahuku along Kamehameha Highway (State Rte. 83).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 5.5 km² (2.1 mi²). 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 40.65% water, a statistic with little meaning since this is simply part of the Pacific Ocean included in the census tract.
Demographics
As of the 2000 Census, there were 4,585 people, 903 households, and 735 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,393.9/km² (3,601.7/mi²). There were 1,010 housing units at an average density of 307.1/km² (793.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 27.59% White, 0.35% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 9.23% Asian, 36.88% Pacific Islander, 0.65% from other races, and 25.15% from two or more races. 3.12% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 903 households out of which 46.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.2% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.6% are non-families. 9.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.47 and the average family size was 4.75.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 31.8% under the age of 18, 21.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 14.5% from 45 to 64, and 5.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $50,875, and the median income for a family was $59,432. Males had a median income of $40,242 versus $26,750 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $13,785. 17.5% of the population and 10.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 13.8% of those under the age of 18 and 11.6% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.