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Hawaii State›Hawaii County

Hawaiian BeachesHI

The town, home to 3,947 people, lies in Hawaii State.

Is Hawaiian Beaches a good place to live?

Hawaiian Beaches’ weakest subject grade is a D− for hazard risk. Hawaiian Beaches’ typical journey to work is 43 minutes, above both Hawaii State’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 1 of Hawaii State’s 125 towns score lower on health. The median household income is $29K, and 40% of residents live below the poverty line. 82% of the land in Hawaiian Beaches is conserved, above both Hawaii State’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Nanawale Forest Reserve, at 437 acres. Hawaiian Beaches has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).

Get outside

4 miles of trails in Hawaiian Beaches

81.6% of the town is conserved land, across 5 parks and preserves.

Map of trails and conserved land in Hawaiian BeachesConservedTrails
1
Nanawale Forest Reserve437 acres
Directions
2
Honu Street Park4 acres
Directions
3
Maikoiko Park3 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US

How Hawaiian Beaches grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii State), ordered by how far Hawaiian Beaches is from typical.

How grading works

Hawaiian Beaches has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).

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.

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Hawaiian Beaches: who provides what

Hawaiian Beaches is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPahoa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHawaii CountyHawaii County provides services here
SchoolsHawaii Department of EducationWhich school depends on your addressNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Hawaii State 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.gov
Who runs elections hereHawaii County ClerkHawaii County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9677896778 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 Hawaiian Beaches.

OutdoorsB

Conserved land covers nearly a third of Hawaiian Beaches

Across 5 parks and preserves: 4.3 miles of trail. The trail network density in Hawaiian Beaches is 0.3 miles per square mile.

81.6%conserved
81.6%
conserved · 7,933 of 9,728 acres
4.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Nanawale Forest Reserve—437
2. Honu Street Park—4
3. Maikoiko Park—3

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Schools

The schools Hawaiian Beaches’s kids attend

Its one school is below. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Enrollment at Hawaiian Beaches’s public school: 565 students.

SchoolLevelStudentsLetter
Keonepoko Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6Grades PK–6565D

NCES · EDFacts

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−

Very high risk in Hawaiian Beaches, with inland flooding at the top

Of the losses FEMA expects in Hawaiian Beaches, 52% come from inland flooding and 36% from earthquakes. Compared with 100% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher.

100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
100Very high riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingEarthquakesVolcanic activity

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

HealthD

More of Hawaiian Beaches’ adults worry about having enough food than in the typical Hawaii State or U.S. town

No town among the 93 in Hawaii State we compare has a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Hawaiian Beaches. Hawaiian Beaches: 32% of adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 93 Hawaii State towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Hawaiian Beaches. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Hawaiian Beaches is ahead of Hawaii State on 1 and behind on 24.

11%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
Hawaiian BeachesHawaii State townsU.S. towns
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)32%18%19%
Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES)23%12%14%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)21%13%14%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)34%18%14%
32 measures vs. Hawaii State
1 better7 too close to call24 worse
What stands outHawaiian BeachesHI
Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours40.5%45.7%
More adults with COPD12.5%5.3%
Hilo Benioff Medical Center
16.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−

With only 0.6 jobs per working resident, most people in Hawaiian Beaches work out of town

The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (27%), Hilo (16%) and Pahoa (4%). Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Hawaiian Beaches rose by 20, to 129. For half of commuters, work is under 136 miles away.

4%work in town

Where working residents work

In Hawaiian Beaches4%
Urban Honolulu27%
Hilo16%
Pahoa4%
Kahului3%
136 mi
median commute distance
129
jobs based in Hawaiian Beaches
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 41% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

In Hawaiian Beaches, expect mild winters and pleasant summers

The midsummer high for Hawaiian Beaches comes to 83°F.

83°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter65–79°
Spring66–79°
Summer70–83°
Fall69–82°
83°
typical summer high

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HousingCost of living grade C

The median home in Hawaiian Beaches sells for about $310K

Among 93 Hawaii State towns, just 4 have a higher home-ownership rate than Hawaiian Beaches. Hawaiian Beaches’ typical rent is $1,658 a month. On the market in the town: a median 92 days to sell.

$310Kmedian sale price
Hawaiian BeachesHawaii State townsU.S. towns
Households that own their home85%71%73%
Median rent$1,658 a month$2,017 a month$1,185 a month
Market temperature
Buyer’s marketA buyer's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
92
days on market
96.3%
sale-to-list price
6
homes sold in September

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Nearby attractions

Mauna Kea and 13 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hawaiian Beaches. Close and well known come first.

All 19 attractions →
Sources: 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 · 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 · 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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Hawaiian Beaches

16pages on Hawaiian Beaches
After high school

Colleges nearby

2 within 15 miles of the center of Hawaiian Beaches

A commuter town

96% of working residents leave Hawaiian Beaches for work

Where Hawaiian Beaches’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

27% → Urban Honolulu Urban Honolulu 27% 16% → Hilo Hilo 16% 4% → Pahoa Pahoa 4% 3% → Kahului Kahului 3% 3% → Waikoloa Beach Resort Waikoloa Beach Resort 3% 3% → Hawaiian Paradise Park Hawaiian Paradise Park 3% Hawaiian Beaches · 4% stay
129jobs based in Hawaiian Beaches
4%of working residents work in town
136 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Hawaiian Beaches

Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States

Hawaiian Beaches is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States located in the District of Puna. As of the 2020 census, Hawaiian Beaches had a population of 3,976. Its Hawaiian name is Waiakahiʻula.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
25 sq mi
Elevation
256 ft
Area code
808

Hawaiian Beaches’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Hawaiian Beaches.

Explore the map →
How the neighbors grade
TownHI rankOverallCostSafetySchoolsHealth
Hawaiian Beaches——C——D
Pahoa——A——C−
Hawaiian Paradise Park——C——B

Pahoa has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Hawaiian Beaches, Pahoa and Hawaiian Paradise Park report no FBI crime data of their own. Hawaiian Beaches and Hawaiian Paradise Park aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Hawaiian Beaches with a neighbor →

Questions about Hawaiian Beaches

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Hawaiian Beaches, HI a good place to live?

Hawaiian Beaches has no overall grade: it has no figures for safety and schools, and an overall grade needs at least three of the four big subjects (cost of living, safety, schools and health).

Is Hawaiian Beaches, HI expensive?

The typical home is worth about $273,000, 67% below the Hawaii State typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.