Turtle Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, 2008
Kawela Bay’s story
Kawela Bay in pictures
Census counts: 366 in 1990, 325 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and 5 maps from 1954 on.
Explore the history →
Kawela BayHI
It is a town of 376 residents in Hawaii.
1 bordering townMap →
Opana Radar Site · Photo: Andrew Corbin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
376
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$913K
Census ACS
Household income
$74K
median
Median age
44.9
years
Jobs based here
927
A job hub
Is Kawela Bay a good place to live?
Kawela Bay’s average trip to work is 43 minutes, against 28 minutes in Hawaii’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only one of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare has a higher share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Kawela Bay. Kawela Bay’s trail network density is 3.2 miles per square mile, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 0.6 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Kawela Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Kawela Bay stand out
Where Kawela Bay beats most towns.
Small town
376 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
PupukeaKawela Bay
Getting set up
Moving to Kawela Bay: who provides what
Kawela Bay is unincorporated, so Honolulu County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaiian Electric Co40.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWaialee-Sunset Beach water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesHonolulu CountyHonolulu 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 hereHonolulu County ClerkHonolulu County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP code9673196731 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 Kawela Bay.
Work & commute
With 8.3 jobs for every working resident, Kawela Bay draws in 911 commuters
Most people who work leave Kawela Bay to do it: just 14% work in town. Kawela Bay’s typical household income works out to $74,000. Also worth knowing: it had 927 jobs in 2024, up 190 from 2014. Half commute less than 21 miles.
14%work in town
| Kawela Bay | Typical Hawaii town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 14% | 4.4% | 7.9% |
| Median household income | $74,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kawela Bay14%
Urban Honolulu29%
Laie15%
Kahuku9%
Hauula3%
21 mi
median commute distance
927
jobs based in Kawela Bay
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2024 · ACS
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Kawela Bay, with tsunamis at the top
Of the losses FEMA expects in Kawela Bay, 48% come from tsunamis and 41% from inland flooding. On expected storm and flood damage, Kawela Bay sits above 88% of U.S. communities.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TsunamisInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Kawela Bay
In Kawela Bay, the peak summer temperature is 82°F.
83°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter67–77°
Spring69–78°
Summer74–82°
Fall73–82°
83°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Kawela Bay is
Just over a tenth of Kawela Bay adults smoke cigarettes. The town beats the Hawaii average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 5 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Kawela Bay. In Kawela Bay, 20% of adults binge drink, and 44% sleep under 7 hours.
| Kawela Bay | Typical Hawaii town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 45% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
6 better21 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Kawela Bay | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 14.3% | 17.3% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 6.3% | 7.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.1% | 6.7% |
Kahuku Medical Center
3.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
2.4%conserved
2.4%
conserved · 30 of 1,266 acres
6.4 mi
of trails · 3.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Kawela Bay sells for about $1.17M at the median
72% of households live in a home they own here. Kawela Bay’s midpoint rent is recorded as $2,500 a month.
$1.17Mmedian sale price
| Kawela Bay | Typical Hawaii town | Typical U.S. town | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,500 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 72% | 71% | 73% |
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 47 attractions →USS Missouri and 46 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kawela Bay. Close and well known come first.
Big draw24 mi MuseumUSS Missouri
23 mi MuseumUSS Arizona Memorial
23 mi Stadium & arenaAloha Stadium
33 mi MountainDiamond Head
31 mi BeachWaikīkī
7 mi MuseumPolynesian Cultural CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
USS Missouri: Camera Operator: EM2 KENNETH D. MEHL (Released to Public), Public domain · USS Arizona Memorial: DoD photo by: PH3(AW/SW) JAYME PASTORIC, USN, Public domain · Aloha Stadium: This photo was taken and originally uploaded by Bobak to English Wikipedia. Uplo, CC BY 3.0 · Diamond Head: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waikīkī: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Polynesian Cultural Center: Gh5046 at en.wikipedia, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kawela Bay
16pages on Kawela Bay
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Kawela Bay
About 4 of every 100 Kawela Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A job hub
Every workday, about 911 people come to Kawela Bay for work
Where Kawela Bay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
927jobs based in Kawela Bay
14%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2024
About Kawela Bay
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Kawela Bay is a census-designated place and small community in the Koʻolauloa District on the northern coast of the island of Oʻahu, City & County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. In Hawaiian, ka wela means "the heat". As of the 2020 census, the CDP had a population of 325.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 9 ft
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Kawela Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kawela Bay, HI a good place to live?
Kawela Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.