County

Kauai County, Hawaii Retirement Score

Kauai County is a stronger fit for retirees who value climate, scenery, and a quieter island pace, but it is less appealing for those who want the deepest healthcare market or lower overall cost. Use this page to understand why it scores the way it does before moving into side-by-side comparisons.

Overall Retirement Score
76
Above average

Quick takeaway

Best for: climate comfort, scenery, quieter island living

Think twice if: you want the broadest healthcare access or a lower-cost market

At a glance

Place type
County
State
Hawaii
Best fit
climate comfort, scenery, quieter island living
Main tradeoff
you want the broadest healthcare access or a lower-cost market

Category scores

Affordability
42
Healthcare
60
Climate
89
Air quality
86
Disaster risk
67
Retiree fit
82

Honolulu County, Hawaii

A same-state alternative with a different balance of cost, healthcare access, climate, and risk.

Hawaii County, Hawaii

A same-state alternative with a different overall retirement profile.

Explore more in Hawaii

Go back to the state page to keep narrowing counties, metros, and compare paths.

How to interpret this retirement score

Use the overall score as a quick summary, then look at the category scores to see whether affordability, healthcare, climate, air quality, disaster risk, or retiree fit is driving the result. A place can still be a good fit for you even if one category is a clear tradeoff.

Best next step after this page

Use compare pages when you have two realistic finalists. If you are still building the shortlist, use the related rankings and the broader state page to find nearby or similarly ranked alternatives.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kauai County affordable for retirees?

Kauai County scores below average for affordability compared with many retirement-oriented counties.

What is the biggest retirement tradeoff here?

Healthcare access is only around average.

What to do next

Use this page as a narrowing step, then compare it directly against nearby or similarly ranked counties and metros. The overall score is the summary; the category scores explain the tradeoffs.