Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse · National Register of Historic Places
Kilauea’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1963 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1900Kilauea is settled
KilaueaHI
1 bordering townMap →
Kilauea School · Photo: Joel Bradshaw · Public domain
Population
3,146
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.78M
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$92K
median
Median age
42.2
years
Jobs based here
958
Balanced
Is Kilauea a good place to live?
The best of Kilauea’s subject grades are a B+ for walkability and health; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Kilauea’s value of a typical home is $1,781,000, where Hawaii’s towns sit at $903,000 and U.S. towns at $332,000. Only 8 of the 93 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower typical rent than Kilauea. Kilauea’s density of trails is 1.1 miles per square mile, above both the Hawaii town median (0.5) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Daniel K. Inouye Kilauea Point Lighthouse and Kong Lung Store. Kilauea 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).
WeakestDHazard risk
What makes Kilauea stand out
Where Kilauea beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Kilauea grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kilauea is from typical.
Kilauea 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).
Hazard riskInland flooding tops the listDOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $1.78M, 18.2 years of the Kapaa area’s $98K median household incomeCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.3 of 20; 3.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →HealthSamuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital 10.4 miles awayB+Open →Jobs & income$92K median household incomeC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 7% conserved landB+Open →HistoryBased on listed places, the town’s age and notable peopleC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Kilauea: who provides what
Kilauea is unincorporated, so Kauai County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerKauai Island Utility Cooperative38.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKilauea water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKauai CountyKauai 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 hereKauai County ClerkKauai County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9675496754 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 Kilauea.
HousingCost of living grade C
Kilauea earns a C for cost of living
The typical home value in Kilauea is about $1,781,000, up 1.3% in a year, about twice the Hawaii typical home. The share of households in Kilauea who live in a home they own: 82%. Values rose 1.3% in the 12 months to September 2026.
$1.78MZillow home value
Typical home value
Kilauea$1.78M
Hawaii$833K
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Kilauea’s kids attend
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. Kilauea’s only public school teaches 283 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kilauea Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 283 | B+ |
| Kauai Christian Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 239 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Kilauea, with inland flooding at the top
The natural-hazard score from FEMA in Kilauea is 88 of 100. Expected losses in Kilauea break down as 82% from inland flooding and 7% from tsunamis. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Kilauea after 2 declared disasters, most recently in 2018.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTsunamisWildfire
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Kilauea is healthier than 67% of U.S. towns
For adults in Kilauea, the share who have high blood pressure is 32%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Kilauea is ahead of Hawaii on 1 and behind on 11. Two figures for adults here: 30% feel lonely, 41% sleep under 7 hours.
67%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Kilauea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 76% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 45% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 19% | 16% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better20 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Kilauea | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 25.9% | 30.1% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.8% | 5.8% |
Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital
10.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
34th
percentile among HI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
84°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter64–77°
Spring66–78°
Summer71–83°
Fall70–82°
84°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in eight working residents works right in Kilauea
The average commute for Kilauea comes to 23 minutes. Most people who work leave Kilauea to do it: just 13% work in town. Jobs based in Kilauea grew to 958 in 2023, 395 more than in 2013. In Kilauea, 19% of residents live below the poverty line.
13%work in town
| Kilauea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 9.5% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 17% | 8.1% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 3.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Kilauea13%
Urban Honolulu17%
Princeville13%
Hanalei10%
Lihue8%
11 mi
median commute distance
958
jobs based in Kilauea
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Kilauea looks like Hawaii by age
By age, Kilauea looks like Hawaii: each broad group is within 4 points. 33% of adults 25 and older hold at least a bachelor’s degree, against 36% across Hawaii. The town’s age of the median resident is 42.2 years.
42.2median age · HI 40.9
| Kilauea | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.2 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 31% | 29% |
KilaueaHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school29%
Some college23%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kilauea | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.5% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.2% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.5% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 14.1% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.3% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.1% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.3% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.3% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.8% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.8% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,100, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsB+
Kilauea keeps 6.7% of its land conserved
5.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest place to walk is Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, 195 acres with 1.6 miles of trail.
6.7%conserved
6.7%
conserved · 224 of 3,366 acres
5.6 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge | 1.6 mi | 195 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Nā Pali Coast State Park and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kilauea. Close and well known come first.
16 mi State parkNā Pali Coast State Park
21 mi Canyon & gorgeWaimea Canyon State Park
25 mi LandmarkRussian Fort Elizabeth
13 mi BeachHanakapiai Beach
24 mi GardenAllerton Garden
in town GardenNa 'Aina Kai Botanical GardensSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Nā Pali Coast State Park: Jmblanco74, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waimea Canyon State Park: Aaronbernstein, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Russian Fort Elizabeth: en:User:Mel29, Public domain · Hanakapiai Beach: Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Allerton Garden: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Na 'Aina Kai Botanical Gardens: Ks.mini, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kilauea
17pages on Kilauea
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kilauea; the nearest are
Kauai Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lihue17.2 mi$3,252 in-state tuitionUniversity of Hawaii-West OahuUniversity or college · Public · Kapolei104.6 mi$7,584 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Kilauea residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Landmarks
6 places in Kilauea on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Kilauea
Census-designated place in Hawaii, United States
Kīlauea is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kauaʻi County, Hawaii, United States. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 3,014. Kīlauea shares the name of the active volcano Kīlauea on the island of Hawaii. The name translates to "spewing" or "much spreading" in the Hawaiian language.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 292 ft
- ZIP code
- 96754
Kilauea’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Kilauea.
KalihiwaiKilauea
How the neighbors grade
Kilauea reports no FBI crime data of its own. Kilauea and Kalihiwai aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kilauea with a neighbor →
Questions about Kilauea
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kilauea, HI a good place to live?
Kilauea 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).
Is Kilauea, HI expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.