Black SandsHI
354 people call this town in Hawaii home.
Is Black Sands a good place to live?
Black Sands’ typical journey to work is 46 minutes, above both Hawaii’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare, none has a higher share of residents below the poverty line than Black Sands. The biggest park or preserve is Keauohana Forest Reserve, at 67 acres. Black Sands has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
354 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Kīlauea and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Black Sands. Close and well known come first.
Big draw21 mi MountainKīlauea
7 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
40 mi MountainKama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount
9 mi CaveKazumura Cave
23 mi WaterfallRainbow Falls
33 mi State parkAkaka Falls State ParkPhoto credits
Kīlauea: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Public domain · Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Jos-uit-boston at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount: John Smith and Brooks Bays, Public domain · Kazumura Cave: Dave Bunnell / Under Earth Images, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rainbow Falls: Kyle Hawton, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Akaka Falls State Park: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
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Moving to Black Sands: who provides what
Black Sands is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Black Sands.
Black Sands has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes
FEMA puts 61% of Black Sands’s expected hazard losses down to earthquakes, and 25% to inland flooding. Compared with 100% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in the town is higher.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
20% of Black Sands is conserved land
In 1 park or preserve, walkers have 0.7 miles of trail. For Black Sands, the trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Keauohana Forest Reserve | 0.2 mi | 67 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults smoke cigarettes in Black Sands than in most of Hawaii or the rest of the country
27% of Black Sands adults get no exercise outside work. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Black Sands. In Black Sands, nearly a fifth of adults report frequent physical distress, and 29% say their health is fair or poor. Of 32 CDC measures, Black Sands beats the Hawaii average on 1 and trails it on 24.
| Black Sands | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 12% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 18% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Black Sands | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 38.2% | 45.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 12% | 5.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Black Sands
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Black Sands; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Black Sands residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Questions about Black Sands
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Black Sands, HI a good place to live?
Black Sands has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.