Photo: The original uploader was Sanba38 at English Wikipedia. · CC BY-SA 2.5Within Hawaii, Kaunakakai is healthier than 10% of graded towns
Kaunakakai trails Hawaii on 20 of 32 measures CDC estimates, and leads on none.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Kaunakakai. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Kaunakakai
COPD, stroke and heart disease run high in Kaunakakai
1 in 11 adults have COPD (8.9%), vs 5.3% across Hawaii. 1 in 17 adults have had a stroke (5.9%), vs 3.7% across Hawaii. Heart disease is also above the state: 9.7%, vs 6.2% across Hawaii. In all, Kaunakakai runs above Hawaii on nine of 11 chronic conditions. Conditions ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Kaunakakai
1 in 4 adults worry about having enough food (24.4%), vs 17.3% across Hawaii. Utility shut-off threats (9.2% vs 5.8%) and no reliable transportation (11.4% vs 7.5%) are higher too. 21.8% of adults receive SNAP, vs 12.2% statewide. Everyday needs ↓
Smoking is more common in Kaunakakai
1 in 6 adults smoke cigarettes (16.5%), vs 11% across Hawaii. Habits ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Hawaii figure falls outside Kaunakakai’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
What’s behind Kaunakakai’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kaunakakai is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns, #84 of 93 in Hawaii. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than 76% of U.S. towns); diabetes pulls it down (better than 5%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Kaunakakai’s median household income is $76,131; among the 10,819 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($57K–$95K), it’s healthier than 30%, so it sits below most towns with similar incomes, too.
Out of every 100 Kaunakakai adults…
Kaunakakai runs above HI on 10 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
21.8% of Kaunakakai adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.2% across Hawaii.
Everyday habits, side by side with Hawaii
Share of adults, with the Hawaii figure marked.
15 miles of trails across 1 park or preserve
Care in and near Kaunakakai
1 community health center in Kaunakakai, plus the nearest just outside it.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Kaunakakai; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Kaunakakai adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Hawaii.
How Kaunakakai adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Kaunakakai runs above Hawaii.
1 in 3 Kaunakakai adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Kaunakakai and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaunakakai | C | 32% | 17.4% | 16.5% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Kaunakakai adults live with a disability (Hawaii 28.7%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Kaunakakai
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Kaunakakai is better than Hawaii on 0 and worse on 20; on the rest, the Hawaii figure falls inside Kaunakakai’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Kaunakakai | HI | U.S. | vs HI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 24.6%21.6–27.6 | 18.4% | 19.4% | Worse |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.6%14.7–18.5 | 12.3% | 13% | Worse |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 16.7%14.9–18.6 | 14.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 32%26.9–37.3 | 25.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 17.4%15.4–19.5 | 12.4% | 12% | Worse |
| High blood pressure | 38.1%34.6–41.7 | 31.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%34.9–42.1 | 36.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 30.9%27.9–33.9 | 23.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 12%10.7–13.3 | 9.8% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8.7%7.9–9.5 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 9.7%8.7–10.8 | 6.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 8.9%7.7–10.1 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 5.9%5.3–6.5 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Worse |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 13.6%11.1–16.5 | 8.5% | 12.3% | Worse |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 16.5%14.2–19.1 | 11% | 11.8% | Worse |
| No exercise outside work | 25.6%21.8–29.7 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 16.5%14.3–18.9 | 17.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 43%38–48.2 | 45.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 7.5%6.1–9 | 5.6% | 11% | Worse |
| Checkup in the past year | 75.7%72.4–78.7 | 77.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 62.8%59.3–66.2 | 68.3% | 63.2% | Worse |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 83%81.1–85 | 82.8% | 87.1% | About the same |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.6%74.7–80.2 | 76.9% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 61.8%57.4–66.4 | 62.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 76.2%70.1–82 | 78.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 16.4%14–18.9 | 16% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 33%28.8–37.6 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 29.8%26–33.9 | 30.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 24.4%21.1–27.7 | 17.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 15.5%13.3–17.8 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 9.2%7.9–10.8 | 5.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 11.4%9.9–13.1 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 21.8%18.6–25.3 | 12.2% | 11.6% | Higher |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 36.5%32.6–40.5 | 28.7% | 30.1% | Higher |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 21%18.5–23.5 | 13.2% | 13.6% | Higher |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 15.2%13.4–17.1 | 12.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 10.2%9–11.4 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 8.1%7.3–9 | 5.2% | 5.4% | Higher |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 10.7%9.5–12 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 5.9%5.3–6.6 | 3.4% | 3.8% | Higher |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Hawaii figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Kaunakakai
Is Kaunakakai a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Kaunakakai is healthier than 34% of U.S. towns: ≈ C for health, #84 of 93 in Hawaii. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 30%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Kaunakakai?
CDC estimates 32% of adults have obesity, likely between 26.9% and 37.3%, against 25.6% across Hawaii and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Kaunakakai?
Molokai General Hospital in Kaunakakai, 11.0 miles in a straight line from Kaunakakai’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Kaunakakai have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 7.5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 6.1–9%), against 5.6% across Hawaii.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Kaunakakai more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from D to B.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Kaunakakai.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Hawaii figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.