Greenwell Store · National Register of Historic Places
Kealakekua’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1900Kealakekua is settled
KealakekuaHI
A town of 1,919, settled in 1900.
3 bordering townsMap →
Greenwell Store · Photo: W Nowicki · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,919
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$791K
−1.1% in a year
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
40.9
years
Jobs based here
1,141
A job hub
Is Kealakekua a good place to live?
Kealakekua’s best subject grades are a B+ for health and cost of living; its weakest is a D− for hazard risk. Kealakekua’s January low is 69°F, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 64°F and U.S. towns at 22°F. On cost of living, just 10 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns. 1.4% of the land in Kealakekua is conserved, below both the Hawaii town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Greenwell Store is on the National Register of Historic Places. Kealakekua has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kealakekua stand out
Where Kealakekua beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Kealakekua has grown 14% from 2010 to 2020
2,019 counted in 2010 and 2,307 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Kealakekua grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kealakekua is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 11.2% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthKona Community Hospital 0.8 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $791K, 10.1 years of the Hilo area’s $79K median household incomeB+Open →Jobs & income$103K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trails; 1% conserved landCOpen →History1 place on the National Register; 6 notable people born hereC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 87° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.9–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Kealakekua: who provides what
Kealakekua is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSouth Kona water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers90% 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 code9675096750 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 Kealakekua.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
A job hub: Kealakekua has 4.6 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,100 commuters
Most working residents leave Kealakekua for work: only 17% work in town. The average trip to work in Kealakekua is 31 minutes. Since 2013, Kealakekua has added 251 jobs, to 1,141 in 2023.
17%work in town
| Kealakekua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 3.7% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Kealakekua17%
Kailua14%
Urban Honolulu13%
Kaiminani11%
Kahaluu-Keauhou9%
14 mi
median commute distance
1,141
jobs based in Kealakekua
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Schools
The schools Kealakekua’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Hawaii Department of Education school district. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Konawaena High School, with 955 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Konawaena Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 614 | C+ |
| Konawaena High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 955 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Kealakekua faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by earthquakes
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 96% of U.S. communities. Since 2015, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Kealakekua.
96risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingVolcanic activity
6
paid flood claims since 2015
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
Kealakekua ranks healthier than 67% of the country’s towns
Kealakekua beats the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 25% of adults have obesity in Kealakekua. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 4 have a lower share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Kealakekua.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Kealakekua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 45% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Kealakekua | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 37.3% | 45.7% |
| More smokers | 13.7% | 11% |
Kona Community Hospital
0.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Kealakekua
Kealakekua has warm winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 86°, January nights drop to 69° and snow is almost unheard of.
87°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter69–82°
Spring71–83°
Summer75–86°
Fall74–86°
87°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Hawaii overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Hawaii.
40.9median age · HI 40.9
| Kealakekua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 31% | 29% |
| Median age | 40.9 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
KealakekuaHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma14%
High school22%
Some college18%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.6 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kealakekua | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.9% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.9% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.3% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.7% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.3% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.4% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.7% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,900, single groups can be off by several points
HousingCost of living grade B+
In Kealakekua, the median rent runs lower than in the typical Hawaii or U.S. town
Kealakekua’s median rent is $965 a month. The typical Kealakekua home is worth about $791,000, down 1.1% in a year, 5% below the Hawaii typical home.
$791KZillow home value
| Kealakekua | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $965 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kealakekua$791K
Hawaii$833K
−1.1%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1.4%conserved
1.4%
conserved · 88 of 6,388 acres
2.7 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clarence Lum Won Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Mauna Kea and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kealakekua. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw21 mi MountainMauna Loa
14 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
12 mi MountainHualālai
7 mi National Historical ParkPu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park372K visitors a year
38 mi BeachPunalu'u BeachSources: 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 · Mauna Loa: Gordon Joly, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Jos-uit-boston at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hualālai: Photograph by J. Kauahikaua., Public domain · Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain · Punalu'u Beach: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kealakekua
18pages on Kealakekua
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kealakekua; the nearest are
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo55.3 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo56.1 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 Kealakekua residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A job hub
Every workday, about 1,100 people come to Kealakekua for work
Where Kealakekua’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,141jobs based in Kealakekua
17%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Kealakekua
6 notable people were born in Kealakekua.
K
Keitani GrahamOlympic wrestler · 1980–2012B
Brandon CablayFilipino-American basketball player · born 1978B
Brandon HardinAmerican football player · born 1989
C
Charles KekumanoAmerican priest · 1919–1998K
Keala KeanaainaAmerican football player · born 1977About Kealakekua
Census-designated place in Hawaii, U.S.
Kealakekua is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. As of the 2020 census, Kealakekua had a population of 2,307. It was the subject of the 1933 popular song "My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii" by Bill Cogswell, Tommy Harrison and Johnny Noble, which became a Hawaiian music standard.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,427 ft
- ZIP code
- 96750
- Area code
- 808
Kealakekua’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Kealakekua.
HonaloCaptain CookKahaluu-KeauhouKealakekua
How the neighbors grade
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kealakekua | — | — | B+ | — | — | B+ |
| Honalo | — | — | B | — | — | B+ |
| Captain Cook | — | — | C− | — | — | B+ |
| Kahaluu-Keauhou | — | — | D− | — | — | A− |
Kealakekua and Honalo have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Kealakekua, Honalo, Captain Cook and Kahaluu-Keauhou report no FBI crime data of their own. Captain Cook and Kahaluu-Keauhou aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kealakekua with a neighbor →
Questions about Kealakekua
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kealakekua, HI expensive?
Not for the 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+.
What is Kealakekua, HI known for?
6 notable people were born here, including Keitani Graham and Brandon Cablay.