Wedding at Honomu, photograph by Brother Bertram, 1883
Honomu’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1883 and 3 maps from 1915 on.
- 1900Honomu is settled
HonomuHI
A town settled in 1900, now home to 376 people.
Photo: Travis Thurston · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
376
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$698K
+2.5% in a year
Household income
$68K
median
Median age
51.3
years
Jobs based here
34
A commuter town
Is Honomu a good place to live?
31% of residents are 65 or older in Honomu, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 20% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 4 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher midpoint age than Honomu. Honomu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
376 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Mauna Kea and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Honomu. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw33 mi MountainKīlauea
31 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
3 mi State parkAkaka Falls State Park
10 mi WaterfallRainbow Falls
25 mi CaveKazumura CaveSources: 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 · Akaka Falls State Park: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Rainbow Falls: Kyle Hawton, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kazumura Cave: Dave Bunnell / Under Earth Images, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Honomu: who provides what
Honomu is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHonomu water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers93% 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 code9672896728 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 Honomu.
Natural hazards
Honomu faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
One declared disaster, in 2018, has brought federal aid to Honomu households. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities. Two thirds of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 28%.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Honomu’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.5 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Hilo (43%), Urban Honolulu (9%) and Waikoloa Beach Resort (4%). The typical journey to work for Honomu comes to 36 minutes. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Honomu, and on top of that 4.3% of residents live below the poverty line here.
0%work in town
| Honomu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Honomu0%
Hilo43%
Urban Honolulu9%
Waikoloa Beach Resort4%
Kailua4%
16 mi
median commute distance
34
jobs based in Honomu
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
A older population than Hawaii as a whole
Among adults 25 and older in Honomu, 39% hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
51.3median age · HI 40.9
HonomuHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school22%
Some college19%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s23%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.6 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Honomu | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.2% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.8% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.9% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.5% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.4% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.7% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.3% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.6% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.9% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.3% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
In Honomu, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 64° and snow is almost unheard of.
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
Housing
Homes in Honomu are worth about $698K, by Zillow’s estimate
Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 9 have a lower median rent than Honomu. In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 2.5%. For households here, the share who are owner-occupiers is 78%.
$698KZillow home value
| Honomu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,333 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Honomu$698K
Hawaii$833K
+2.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Honomu is
In Honomu, 15% of adults report frequent mental distress. This Hawaii town does better than the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 10. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 9 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Honomu. Two figures for adults here: 26% have obesity, 19% have been diagnosed with depression.
| Honomu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 45% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better21 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Honomu | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 38.3% | 45.7% |
| More smokers | 14.2% | 11% |
Hilo Benioff Medical Center
10.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3.3%conserved
3.3%
conserved · 10 of 309 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Honomu Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Honomu
16pages on Honomu
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Honomu
Hawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo11.7 mi$3,204 in-state tuitionUniversity of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo11.8 mi$7,838 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Honomu residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Honomu for work
Where Honomu’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
34jobs based in Honomu
0%of working residents work in town
16 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Honomu
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Honomu, HI a good place to live?
Honomu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.