Lā'ie, Hawai'i

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The Laie Hawaii Temple is the fifth oldest Mormon temple in the world. It is also one of only three temples designed to look like Solomon's Temple in scripture.

Lāʻie is a community and a census-designated place (CDP) located in the Koʻolauloa District on the Island of Oʻahu, City & County of Honolulu. In Hawaiian, lāʻie means "ʻie leaf" (ʻie is a climbing pandanus: Freycinetia arborea). Lāʻie is the largest town in the district with a total population of 4,585 according to the 2000 Census.

Lāʻie is one of the largest communities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the site of the Lāʻie Hawaiʻi Temple, the fifth oldest Mormon temple in the world (and the first to be built outside of continental North America). Brigham Young University Hawaiʻi is located in Lāʻie. 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, Lāʻie has had a profound impact on Hawaiian culture. Fundraisers and feasts on the beach in the late 1940s inspired the "Hukilau Song," written, composed and originally recorded by Jack Owens, The Cruising Crooner, and made famous by Alfred Apaka. In addition, the "Shaka sign" now commonly associated with Hawaiʻi was born in Lāʻie, 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 U.S. postal code for Lāʻie is 96762.

[edit] Geography

Lāʻie is located at 21°38'55" North, 157°55'32" West (21.648500, -157.925569)^GR1. This community is located north from Hauʻula 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.

The coastline is marked by a prominent lithified dune jutting out into the ocean as Lāʻie Point (also known as Laniloa Point, the elevated land formation with Lāʻie Pt. at its tip). Two other lithified dunes (Kukuihoʻolua and Mokuālai) lie just offshore of the point as scenic islets. Lāʻie Beach Park, popularly known as Pounders Beach for the offshore surf site, is just south of the town. Lāʻie Beach, also known as Hukilau Beach, is located at the north end of town, at the mouth of Kahawainui Stream.

[edit] Demographics

Laie Point overlooking the Pacific Ocean to the east.

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.