Seto Building · National Register of Historic Places
Kapaa’s story
125 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1901Kapaa is settled
KapaaHI
A town of 11,094, settled in 1901.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Travis.Thurston · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
11,094
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$952K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
48.4
years
Jobs based here
1,873
A commuter town
Is Kapaa a good place to live?
Kapaa’s best subject grade is an A− for health; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Kapaa’s January low is 66°F, against 64°F in Hawaii’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. Only 8 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher median age than Kapaa. 27% of the land in Kapaa is conserved, above both Hawaii’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Seto Building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Kapaa 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).
What makes Kapaa stand out
Where Kapaa beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Kapaa for work
Where Kapaa’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,873jobs based in Kapaa
11%of working residents work in town
13 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Kapaa grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kapaa is from typical.
Kapaa 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).
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →HealthSamuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital 2.4 miles awayA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.1 of 20; 4.6% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$89K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors5 miles of trailsBOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 1 notable person born hereC−Open →
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 Kapaa: who provides what
Kapaa is unincorporated, so Kauai County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerKauai Island Utility Cooperative38.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLihue-Kapaa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKauai CountyKauai 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 hereKauai County ClerkKauai County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9674696746 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 Kapaa.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Kapaa
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 94% of U.S. communities. Since 2012, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kapaa.
94risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTsunamis
5
paid flood claims since 2012
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Kapaa’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Hawaii Department of Education school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Kapaa High School, with 1,005 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kapaa Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 844 | C |
| Kapaa High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,005 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Kapaa is healthier than 85% of U.S. towns
Kapaa beats the Hawaii average on 3 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 24% of adults have obesity in Kapaa.
85%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Kapaa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 23% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 45% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
3 better28 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Kapaa | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who get no exercise | 19.5% | 23% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 10.6% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 73.1% | 76.9% |
Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital
2.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
76th
percentile among HI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
OutdoorsB
Nearly a quarter of Kapaa is conserved land
4.8 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Wailua Game Management Area, at 531 acres.
27.3%conserved
27.3%
conserved · 1,807 of 6,620 acres
4.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wailua Game Management Area | 0.8 mi | 531 |
| 2. Kealia Forest Reserve | 0.3 mi | 194 |
| 3. Kapaa New Park | — | 17 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Kapaa’s workers commute out: the town has 0.3 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Kapaa for work: only 11% work in town. Jobs based in Kapaa grew to 1,873 in 2023, 700 more than in 2013. 5.6% of Kapaa workers work from home.
11%work in town
| Kapaa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 5.6% | 8.2% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 3.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Kapaa11%
Urban Honolulu21%
Lihue19%
Wailua5%
Princeville4%
13 mi
median commute distance
1,873
jobs based in Kapaa
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Kapaa, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Kapaa has warm winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 66° and snow is almost unheard of.
85°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter67–79°
Spring69–80°
Summer74–84°
Fall73–83°
85°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade C−
The typical home in Kapaa is valued at about $952K
The typical Kapaa home is worth about $952,000, up 2.2% in a year, 14% above the Hawaii typical home. Kapaa’s median rent is $2,020 a month.
$952KZillow home value
| Kapaa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,020 a month | $2,009 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kapaa$952K
Hawaii$833K
Market temperature
134
days on market
95.3%
sale-to-list price
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
10
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Hawaii overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 42% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (21% statewide). Among 93 Hawaii towns, just 9 have a lower share of children under 18 than Kapaa. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Hawaii.
48.4median age · HI 40.9
| Kapaa | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 24% | 20% | 18% |
KapaaHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
15%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school29%
Some college24%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kapaa | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.6% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.4% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.4% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.9% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.2% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 24.1% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.2% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.1% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.6% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Nā Pali Coast State Park and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kapaa. Close and well known come first.
20 mi State parkNā Pali Coast State Park
20 mi Canyon & gorgeWaimea Canyon State Park
22 mi LandmarkRussian Fort Elizabeth
18 mi BeachHanakapiai Beach
17 mi GardenAllerton Garden16 mi GardenNational Tropical Botanical GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Nā Pali Coast State Park: Jmblanco74, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waimea Canyon State Park: Aaronbernstein, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Russian Fort Elizabeth: en:User:Mel29, Public domain · Hanakapiai Beach: Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Allerton Garden: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kapaa
18pages on Kapaa
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kapaa
About 5 of every 100 Kapaa residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Hawaii.
About Kapaa
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Kapaʻa (Kauaʻi dialect: Tapaʻa) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kauaʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It is the most populous town in the island of Kauai, with a population of 11,652 as of the 2020 census, up from 9,471 at the 2000 census. Kapaʻa is a Hawaiian word meaning "the solid one". It is formed from ka (the) and pa'a (solid). Notable people from Kapaʻa include Lokalia Montgomery.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 10 sq mi
- Elevation
- 20 ft
- ZIP code
- 96746
- Area code
- 808
Kapaa’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Kapaa.
Wailua HomesteadsWailuaKapaa
How the neighbors grade
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapaa | — | — | C− | — | — | A− |
| Wailua Homesteads | — | — | D | — | — | A− |
| Wailua | — | — | D | — | — | B+ |
Kapaa, Wailua Homesteads and Wailua report no FBI crime data of their own. Kapaa, Wailua Homesteads and Wailua aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kapaa with a neighbor →
Questions about Kapaa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kapaa, HI a good place to live?
Kapaa 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 Kapaa, HI expensive?
Yes. That is 9.7 years of the area's median household income ($97,668 across the Kapaa, HI area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.