On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Kaiminani is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #32 of 93 in Hawaii. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Kaiminani’s overall grade.
Few Hawaii towns list much on the Register (a typical Hawaii town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Kaiminani’s 1.7 sits above most of its state (69% of Hawaii towns have fewer) while its 2 listings outnumber those of 60% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±0.4 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Kaiminani’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
HonokōhauMahaiʻulaMakalawenaPalani Junction
1cemetery inside Kaiminani
West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery 1
Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Kaiminani, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Kaiminani yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Kaiminani is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States. It is the westernmost community on the island of Hawaii and is bordered to the east by Kaloko and to the south by Kailua-Kona. As of the 2020 census, Kaiminani had a population of 12,590. The community was first listed as a CDP prior to the 2020 census. It occupies most of the territory that once belonged to the Kalaoa CDP, excluding 5.65 mi² of vacation-home tracts and Kekaha Kai State Park.
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
By decade
No old photos in the archives yet
Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Kaiminani is more historic than 26% of U.S. towns, #32 of 93 in Hawaii. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Kaiminani?
Two places: the Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (listed 1978) and the Kalaoa Permanent House Site 10,205 (1992).
How old are the homes in Kaiminani?
0.0% of Kaiminani’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.7% for a Hawaii town; the median home was built in 1994.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From the National Register of Historic Places (2) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
