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Laie, Hawaii

Lā'ie is a community 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.


Entrance esplanade for the Mormon Temple
in Lā'ie ()
Lā'ie is a largely Mormon community and the site of a Mormon temple. The former Church College of Hawaii, now called Brigham Young University – Hawaii (BYUH; see BYU) and the popular Polynesian Cultural Center, a show-format attraction associated with BYUH, are located in Lā'ie.

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

Lā'ie is located at 21°38'55" North, 157°55'32" West (21.648500, -157.925569)1. 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 town 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 town. 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 town was 27.59% White, 0.35% 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 town 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 town 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 town was $13,785. 17.5% of the population and 10.7% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 13.8% were under the age of 18 and 11.6% were 65 or older.