Kurtistown sign, 2008
Kurtistown’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2008.
- 1903Kurtistown is settled
KurtistownHI
A town of 3,151, settled in 1903.
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Perrinville · Public domain
Population
3,151
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$383K
+1.8% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
45.9
years
Jobs based here
498
A job hub
Is Kurtistown a good place to live?
Kurtistown’s weakest subject grade is a D− for hazard risk. Kurtistown’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, above both the Hawaii town median (28 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). On hazard risk, just 11 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do worse. Kurtistown’s trail density is 2.8 miles per square mile, above both Hawaii’s towns (0.5) and U.S. towns (0.4). On history, just 2 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do worse. Kurtistown 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).
WeakestD−Hazard risk
What makes Kurtistown stand out
Where Kurtistown beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here498
Residents who work253
Work
2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 93% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Riskier than 99% of U.S. communities
Inland flooding and earthquakes at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A growing town
Kurtistown has grown 94% from 2010 to 2020
1,298 counted in 2010 and 2,515 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Kurtistown grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Kurtistown is from typical.
Kurtistown 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 riskFEMA risk higher than 100% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.2 of 20; 5.7% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Jobs & income$96K median household incomeBOpen →Cost of livingTypical home $383K, 4.9 years of the Hilo area’s $79K median household incomeB−Open →HealthHilo Benioff Medical Center 9.5 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Mauna Kea and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Kurtistown. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw18 mi MountainKīlauea
Big draw35 mi MountainMauna Loa
13 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
5 mi CaveKazumura Cave
10 mi WaterfallRainbow FallsSources: 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 · Kīlauea: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Public domain · 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 · Kazumura Cave: Dave Bunnell / Under Earth Images, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rainbow Falls: Kyle Hawton, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Kurtistown: who provides what
Kurtistown is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOlaa-Mountain View water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers85% 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 codes96760, 96749, 9677196760 51% · 96749 47% · 96771 3%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 Kurtistown.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
With 2.0 jobs for every working resident, Kurtistown draws in 494 commuters
Since 2013, Kurtistown has added 386 jobs, to 498 in 2023. 4.8% of Kurtistown residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Hilo (30%), Urban Honolulu (19%) and Keaau (6%).
2%work in town
| Kurtistown | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.6% | 3.7% | 8% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Kurtistown2%
Hilo30%
Urban Honolulu19%
Keaau6%
Kailua4%
54 mi
median commute distance
498
jobs based in Kurtistown
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 32% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Kurtistown
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesVolcanic activity
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade B−
More of Kurtistown’s households own their home than in the typical Hawaii or U.S. town
88% of households own their home in Kurtistown. The typical Kurtistown home is worth about $383,000, up 1.8% in a year, 54% below the Hawaii typical home.
$383KZillow home value
Typical home value
Kurtistown$383K
Hawaii$833K
+1.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and pleasant summers in Kurtistown
Kurtistown has warm winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Kurtistown’s July high is 79°F.
80°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter61–76°
Spring63–76°
Summer66–79°
Fall65–79°
80°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than Hawaii overall
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (20% statewide). The median age in Kurtistown is 45.9 years. 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 36% across Hawaii.
45.9median age · HI 40.9
| Kurtistown | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 45.9 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 22% | 22% |
KurtistownHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma11%
High school31%
Some college16%
Associate’s13%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
47.7% women, 52.3% men
About 110 men for every 100 women. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Kurtistown | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.7% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.3% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.6% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.4% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.6% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.8% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.6% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.6% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.5% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.8% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.2% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,200, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsC
Kurtistown stands out in Hawaii and nationally for how little of its land is conserved
Kurtistown’s conserved land covers 0.4% of the town. 20 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 21 of 4,573 acres
20 mi
of trails · 2.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kurtistown Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Kurtistown is less healthy than 50% of U.S. towns
Kurtistown beats the Hawaii average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 15.
50%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Kurtistown | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 45% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better16 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Kurtistown | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 40.4% | 45.7% |
| More smokers | 15.4% | 11% |
Hilo Benioff Medical Center
9.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
20th
percentile among HI towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kurtistown
16pages on Kurtistown
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Kurtistown
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo8 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo8.2 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 7 of every 100 Kurtistown residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Hawaii.
A job hub
Every workday, about 494 people come to Kurtistown for work
Where Kurtistown’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
498jobs based in Kurtistown
2%of working residents work in town
54 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kurtistown
Census-designated place in Hawaii, U.S.
Kurtistown is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States, in the District of Puna. As of the 2020 census, Kurtistown had a population of 2,515.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 633 ft
- ZIP code
- 96760
- Area code
- 808
Kurtistown’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Kurtistown.
Hawaiian AcresMountain ViewKeaauOrchidlands EstatesKurtistown
How the neighbors grade
| Town | HI rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurtistown | — | — | B− | — | — | B− |
| Hawaiian Acres | — | — | B− | — | — | C |
| Mountain View | — | — | B− | — | — | C+ |
| Keaau | — | — | A | — | — | B |
| Orchidlands Estates | — | — | C | — | — | C |
Keaau has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Kurtistown, Hawaiian Acres, Mountain View, Keaau and Orchidlands Estates report no FBI crime data of their own. Kurtistown, Hawaiian Acres, Mountain View and Orchidlands Estates aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Kurtistown with a neighbor →
Questions about Kurtistown
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kurtistown, HI a good place to live?
Kurtistown 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 Kurtistown, 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 B−.