Bond House, State Route 27 vicinity
Halaula’s story
78 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1948Halaula is settled
HalaulaHI
A town of 1,033, settled in 1948.
Population
1,033
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$574K
Census ACS
Median age
35.6
years
Jobs based here
11
A commuter town
Is Halaula a good place to live?
Halaula’s best subject grade is an A− for health; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Halaula’s January low is 68°F, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 64°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 98% of U.S. towns. Halaula’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both Hawaii’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 12 of Hawaii’s 125 towns score higher on history. Halaula has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Halaula stand out
Where Halaula beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,033 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
KapaauHalaula
How Halaula grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Halaula is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.7 of 20; 0% of households have no carD−Open →HealthKohala Hospital 1.7 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingTypical home $574K, 7.3 years of the Hilo area’s $79K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 89° summer afternoons–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 35.6; 20% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Halaula: who provides what
Halaula is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHawaii CountyHawaii County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Hawaii you can register online up to and including Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHawaii County ClerkHawaii County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9675596755 100%Census 2020
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 Halaula.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Halaula faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Halaula’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Hawaii Department of Education school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kohala Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 172 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Halaula is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Halaula beats the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 25% of Halaula adults have obesity. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Halaula.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Halaula | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 45% | 36% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better30 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Halaula | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 37.8% | 45.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7.6% | 6.7% |
Kohala Hospital
1.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commute
With 0.2 jobs for every working resident, most of Halaula’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Halaula for work: only 0% work in town. The average trip to work in Halaula is 34 minutes. Since 2013, Halaula has lost 25 jobs, to 11 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Halaula | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Halaula0%
Waikoloa Beach Resort19%
Urban Honolulu16%
Kailua10%
Kaiminani7%
36 mi
median commute distance
11
jobs based in Halaula
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 2% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Halaula has mild winters and hot summers
Halaula has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Halaula’s July high is 88°F.
89°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter69–83°
Spring71–85°
Summer75–88°
Fall74–87°
89°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB−
Halaula has set aside 1.1% of its land for conservation
6.4 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves. Among 86 Hawaii towns, just 5 have a lower share of conserved land than Halaula.
1.1%conserved
1.1%
conserved · 33 of 3,001 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 30 attractions →Mauna Kea and 7 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Halaula. Close and well known come first.
Big draw34 mi MountainMauna Kea
35 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
37 mi MountainHualālai
13 mi National Historic SitePu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site22K visitors a year
40 mi National Historical ParkKaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park360K visitors a year
11 mi GardenPua Mau Place Arboretum and Botanical GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mauna Kea: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Haleakala National Park: Michael Oswald, Public domain · Hualālai: Photograph by J. Kauahikaua., Public domain · Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site: Bamse, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park: W Nowicki, CC BY 3.0 · Pua Mau Place Arboretum and Botanical Garden: Craig Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0 au
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Halaula
17pages on Halaula
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Halaula; the nearest are
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo57.5 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo58 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Halaula residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Hawaii.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Halaula for work
Where Halaula’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
11jobs based in Halaula
0%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Halaula
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Halaʻula is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 773 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 259 ft
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Halaula
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Halaula, HI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.