User:MeltingIce34/Kailua

Early history
During the reign of King Kākuhihewa and his successors, Kanekapu, Kahoowaha, Kauakahiakahoowaha, and Kualiʻi, Kailua replaced Waikiki as the residential seat of the Oʻahu Rulers (aliʻi nui of Oʻahu). Many ancient temple ruins, such as those at Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site, are in the area. Following the Oʻahu army's defeat by King Kamehameha the Great at the Battle of Nuʻuanu in 1795, the political capital and residential seat of the aliʻi nui of Oʻahu was relocated from Kailua to Honolulu.

2020 Census data
'''As of the census of 2020, there were an estimated 40,514 people and 12,387 households with an average of 3.04 people per household in Kailua. The population density was 5,212.8 inhabitants per square mile (2012.7/km2), which was less dense than that of Honolulu (5842.0 per square mile or 2255.6/km2). There were 4,322 housing units in Kailua at an average density of 121.7 per square mile (47.0/km2). '''

'''The racial makeup of Kailua was 44.8% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American, 19.3% Asian, 4.4% Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 29.0% from two or more races. The Kailua population had a greater percentage of White residents and a lower percentage of Asian residents than the state in aggregate (25.3% and 38.6% respectively). 8.6% of the Kailua population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.'''

'''12.7% of Kailua residents reported having a language other than English spoken at home, less than the state average of 26.1%. The age of the population in Kailua was varied, with 5.8% of inhabitants being under the age of 5, 21.6% being under the age of 18, and 19.3% being above the age of 65. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. '''

'''The median annual household income in Kailua was $122,706, and the per capita annual income was $51,260. 5.0% of the population in Kailua was estimated to be below the poverty line, which was below the state average of 11.2%. Approximately 35.0% of businesses in Kailua were minority-owned, a rate nearly double that of the national average of 18.7%. '''

Tourism
Historically, most tourism on the island of O'ahu has centered around Waikiki and other tourism-designated areas. '''However, tourism has also been a major economic force in Kailua, and jobs relating to tourism have historically made up roughly one-third of total employment in Hawaii. The Obama family vacations, as well as coverage from various social media and travel sites, sparked new interest in Kailua as a tourist destination and led to an influx of tourists to Kailua.  This influx of tourists has led to pushback from some Kailua residents, prompting proposals of legislation to limit tourist activity in the town.'''

Winter White House
Barack Obama vacationed '''in Kailua between 2008 and 2012. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, the Obama family stayed''' in the rented, ocean-front house Plantation Estate in the Paradise Point Estates. The house was built by developer Harold Kainalu Long Castle, who also lived there. Obama also took a vacation break in August 2008 at a different Kailua house, Oahu Lani, during the 2008 United States presidential election.

Controversy
Although tourism is the primary driver of Kailua's economy, it remains a contentious issue among the town's residents. '''On several occasions, residents have successfully introduced legislation to discourage tourism in the town. One such example is Bill 41, which was introduced to the Honolulu City Council in October 2021. In 2022, Honolulu County Mayor Rick Blangiardi signed Bill 41 into law at a press conference held on Kailua beach. The bill placed additional limits and restrictions on short-term rental units. These included requiring a permit to rent living space in a residential area for less than 90 days, as well as requiring hosting platforms (such as Airbnb) to report all listings in Honolulu County (which includes Kailua town) to the county government. Proponents of Bill 41 expect its passage to dramatically reduce the volume of tourists in Kailua.'''