Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Kaunakakai’s subject grades are a B+ for walkability and cost of living; the weakest is a D− for hazard risk. 39% of working residents work locally in Kaunakakai, above both the Hawaii town median (3.6%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Only 9 of Hawaii’s 125 towns score higher on cost of living. 16% of the land in Kaunakakai is conserved, against 12% in Hawaii’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Kaunakakai has 1 place on the National Register. The biggest park or preserve is Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge, at 45 acres. Kaunakakai 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).
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kaunakakai is from typical.
Kaunakakai 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).
How TownRatings grades towns →
Where Kaunakakai beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1933 and 3 maps from 1952 on.
Ordered by what stands out in Kaunakakai.
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Kaunakakai than in 98% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Kaunakakai households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 59% come from inland flooding and 28% from tsunamis.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its two schools are below. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Enrollment at Kaunakakai’s public school: 282 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaunakakai Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 282 | C− |
| Ho'omana Hou School PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 7 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Typical home values fell 4.6% in the year to September 2026. For households in Kaunakakai, the share who are owner-occupiers is 60%.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
In Kaunakakai, 76% of adults had a checkup this year. No town among the 93 in Hawaii we compare has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Kaunakakai. Two figures for adults in the town: 17% report frequent physical distress, 25% say their health is fair or poor.
| Kaunakakai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 18% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| What stands out | Kaunakakai | HI |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 5.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.6% | 8.5% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 5.9% | 3.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Trails total 15 miles in 1 park or preserve. For Kaunakakai, the density of trails is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge | — | 45 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 64° and snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Among residents in Kaunakakai, 14% live below the poverty line. Half of commuters travel less than 37 miles. The town’s typical journey to work is 17 minutes. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (26%), Wailuku (6%) and Kahului (2%).
| Kaunakakai | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $76,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Kaunakakai is unincorporated, so Maui County and regional agencies provide most services.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
None within 15 miles of Kaunakakai; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Kaunakakai residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Kaunakakai (Hawaiian pronunciation: [kɐwnəkəˈkɐj]) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaiʻi, United States. It is the largest town on the island of Molokaʻi. The population was 3,419 at the 2020 census. It has the largest port on the island and the longest pier in Hawaii. The town was made famous in the 1930s by the song "The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai", beginning an ongoing tradition of designating an honorary mayor for the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Kaunakakai 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).
Not for the area. That is 4 years of the area's median household income ($97,109 across the Kahului-Wailuku, HI metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
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