"Honolulu County" is a county located in the state of Hawai'i, the official name of which is the City & County of Honolulu. It encompasses the island of O'ahu and several minor islands, including all of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (islands beyond Ni'ihau) except Midway Atoll. As of the 2000 Census the county population was 876,156. The county seat is Honolulu.

Government

Main article: City & County of Honolulu

Originally governed by a Board of Supervisors, the City & County of Honolulu is administered under a mayor-council system of governance overseeing all municipal services: civil defense, emergency medical, fire, parks and recreation, police, sanitation, streets, water, among others. One of the largest municipal governments in the United States, the City & County of Honolulu has an annual operating budget of $1 Billion.

The government of the City & County of Honolulu is simplified and streamlined and coalesces at three major divisions of municipal power.

• The Mayor of Honolulu is the principal executor of administrative authority and wields highly centralized abilities which in most cities are weighted more equally between the mayor and legislature. Because of the nature of these abilities, the Mayor of Honolulu is often considered by political scientists as one of the most powerful mayors in the nation.
• The Honolulu City Council is the legislative body of the City & County of Honolulu and is responsible for drafting and passing laws, as well as proposing budget items to the mayor. Unlike other cities in the United States, the Honolulu City Council is absolutely independent of the Mayor of Honolulu who does not make any appearances during any council sessions.
• Likewise, the Prosecuting Attorney of Honolulu is absolutely independent of the other two major divisions of municipal power and is not charged with providing counsel to those bodies, a responsibility of the Department of Corporation Counsel under mayoral jurisdiction.

The City & County of Honolulu is one of only a handful of U.S. cities with an extensive neighborhood board system. With 35 neighborhood boards, the system is perhaps the largest of its kind. Members are elected to two year terms. The office of neighborhood board member is an advisory position for public policy and civil investment.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 5,509 km² (2,127 mi²). 1,553 km² (600 mi²) of it is land and 3,955 km² (1,527 mi²) of it is water. The total census tract area is 71.80% water. However, the majority of this area is the Pacific Ocean that surrounds the islands.

Demographics

As of the 2000 Census², there were 876,156 people, 286,450 households, and 205,671 families residing in the City & County of Honolulu. The population density was 564/km² (1,461/mi²). There were 315,988 housing units at an average density of 203/km² (527/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 21.28% White, 2.35% Black or African American, 0.25% Native American, 46.04% Asian, 8.87% Pacific Islander, 1.28% from other races, and 19.93% from two or more races. 6.70% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. Honolulu County contains the highest percentage of Asian residents out of all U.S. counties.

There were 286,450 households out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.95 and the average family size was 3.46.

In the county the population was spread out with 23.80% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males.

Cities and towns on O'ahu

External link

• City & County of Honolulu official site