Bond District · National Register of Historic Places
Kapaau’s story
Kapaau in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →KapaauHI
The town, home to 2,224 people, lies in Hawaii.
2 bordering townsMap →
Bond District · Photo: Howard Olsen · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,224
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$627K
−0.3% in a year
Household income
$84K
median
Median age
44.5
years
Jobs based here
197
Balanced
Is Kapaau a good place to live?
Kapaau’s best subject grade is an A− for health; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Kapaau’s January low is 68°F, above both the Hawaii town median (64°F) and the median of U.S. towns (22°F). Only 12 of Hawaii’s 125 towns score lower on walkability. On history, just 2 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do better. 1.7% of the land in Kapaau is conserved, below both Hawaii’s towns (12%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Kamehameha County Park, at 46 acres. Kapaau has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kapaau stand out
Where Kapaau beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Kapaau has grown 16% from 2010 to 2020
1,734 counted in 2010 and 2,008 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Kapaau grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kapaau is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsC−Open →HealthKohala Hospital 0.3 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & income$84K median household incomeC+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 44.5; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Kapaau: who provides what
Kapaau is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterNorth Kohala water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers91% 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 Kapaau.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Very high risk in Kapaau, with inland flooding at the top
Compared with 100% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Kapaau is higher. FEMA puts nearly two thirds of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 18% to wildfires. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Kapaau after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2026.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Kapaau’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Public school enrollment in Kapaau: 640 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kohala Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 381 | C+ |
| Kohala High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 259 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
HealthA−
On CDC estimates, Kapaau is healthier than three in four U.S. towns
Among adults in Kapaau, 29% have high blood pressure. The town does better than the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. Only 4 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Kapaau.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Kapaau | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 45% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better28 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Kapaau | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 37.3% | 45.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7.9% | 6.7% |
Kohala Hospital
0.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
A home in Kapaau is worth about $627K, on Zillow’s estimate
For households in Kapaau, the share who are owner-occupiers is 79%. Its going rate for rent is $1,894 a month.
$627KZillow home value
| Kapaau | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,894 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 79% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kapaau$627K
Hawaii$833K
−0.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
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
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Kapaau sends most of its workers out of town
Jobs in Kapaau grew by 110 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 197. For most workers, Kapaau is a place to come home to: only 5% work in town. The average commute for Kapaau comes to 31 minutes. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (19%), Waikoloa Beach Resort (12%) and Waimea (10%).
5%work in town
| Kapaau | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $84,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.7% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kapaau5%
Urban Honolulu19%
Waikoloa Beach Resort12%
Waimea10%
Kailua5%
38 mi
median commute distance
197
jobs based in Kapaau
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB−
For the outdoors, Kapaau earns a B−
Walkers can cover 4.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The concentration of trails in Kapaau is 0.8 miles per square mile.
1.7%conserved
1.7%
conserved · 67 of 3,954 acres
4.7 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kamehameha County Park | 0.1 mi | 46 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 29 attractions →Mauna Kea and 6 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kapaau. Close and well known come first.
Big draw36 mi MountainMauna Kea
33 mi National ParkHaleakala National Park854K visitors a year
38 mi MountainHualālai
14 mi National Historic SitePu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site22K visitors a year
12 mi GardenPua Mau Place Arboretum and Botanical Garden
16 mi MuseumIsaacs Art CenterSources: 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 · Pua Mau Place Arboretum and Botanical Garden: Craig Franklin, CC BY-SA 3.0 au · Isaacs Art Center: HawaiiCalls, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kapaau
17pages on Kapaau
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kapaau; the nearest are
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo59.6 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo60 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Kapaau residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Landmarks
3 places in Kapaau on the National Register of Historic Places.
Kapaau’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Kapaau.
HawiHalaulaKapaau
How the neighbors grade
Kapaau, Hawi and Halaula have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Kapaau, Hawi and Halaula report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Kapaau with a neighbor →
Questions about Kapaau
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kapaau, HI expensive?
Yes. That is 8 years of the area's median household income ($78,639 across the Hilo-Kailua, 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−.