Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Jiang assumed (based on copyright claims). · Public domainAmong U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Laie is healthier than 45%
Laie differs from Hawaii on 21 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 8 better, 13 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Laie. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Laie
Mental distress runs high in Laie
1 in 5 adults are in frequent mental distress (20%), vs 14.5% across Hawaii. Depression is above the state too: 19.5%, vs 16% across Hawaii. Mind & connection ↓
Binge drinking is the habit Laie doesn’t win on
23.3% of adults binge drink, vs 17.4% across Hawaii. Smoking and exercise are about at the state’s level. Habits ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Laie’s lead shrinks
Laie is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns, but 45% of the 5,040 towns with similar household incomes ($94K–$157K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Making ends meet is harder in Laie
1 in 5 adults worry about having enough food (20.9%), vs 17.3% across Hawaii. Housing insecurity (14.7% vs 10.9%) and no reliable transportation (9.9% vs 7.5%) are higher too. Everyday needs ↓
Written from the CDC, Medicare and HRSA data on this page. CDC PLACES 2025 release: modeled estimates for adults, not counts; “higher” and “lower” mean the Hawaii figure falls outside Laie’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
What’s behind Laie’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Laie is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns, #44 of 93 in Hawaii. Diabetes holds the grade up (fewer adults with diabetes than 96% of U.S. towns); mental distress pulls it down (better than 9%).
Health estimates follow income closely across the country: towns with higher household incomes usually score higher (a correlation of 0.77 across 21,157 graded towns). Laie’s median household income is $125,202; among the 5,040 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($94K–$157K), it’s healthier than 45%, less than its income alone would suggest.
Most Hawaii towns score higher on these estimates than towns elsewhere, so within the state Laie is healthier than 54% of graded towns, against 78% nationally.
How Laie adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Laie runs above Hawaii.
2 in 5 Laie adults feel lonely. A hello is a start.
Groups are the easiest way in: a walking group, a book club, your street.
If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential and open 24/7.
Everyday habits, side by side with Hawaii
Share of adults, with the Hawaii figure marked.
1.5 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
14% of Laie adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.2% across Hawaii.
Out of every 100 Laie adults…
Laie runs below HI on 8 of 12 conditions and above it on 3. Tap one to see it as people.
Only 5% of Laie residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Hawaii. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis run low partly because the town is young.
Care in and near Laie
No hospital or community health center in Laie itself. These are the nearest.
Hospitals: Medicare overall star ratings, 1–5. Community health centers charge on a sliding scale by income. Distances are straight-line from the center of Laie; ≈ marks a hospital located by its town, not its street. Shortage areas: HRSA Health Professional Shortage Areas (a “population” designation covers specific residents, such as those with low incomes).
Keeping up with care
Share of Laie adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Hawaii.
Laie and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Health next door
| Town | Health | Obesity | Diabetes | Smoking | Figures from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laie | A− | 30.7% | 8.2% | 10% | CDC place |
Same-state neighbors only, ordered by length of shared border.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Laie adults live with a disability (Hawaii 28.7%). Thinking or memory is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Laie
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Laie is better than Hawaii on 8 and worse on 13; on the rest, the Hawaii figure falls inside Laie’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Laie | HI | U.S. | vs HI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 17.2%15–19.5 | 18.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 11%9.8–12.3 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 20%17.7–22.2 | 14.5% | 15.9% | Worse |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 30.7%26–35.7 | 25.6% | 32.9% | Worse |
| Diabetes | 8.2%7.3–9.2 | 12.4% | 12% | Better |
| High blood pressure | 22.9%20.6–25.4 | 31.5% | 34.4% | Better |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 26.3%23.8–28.9 | 36.1% | 37.1% | Better |
| Arthritis | 15.9%14.3–17.6 | 23.2% | 25.3% | Better |
| Asthma | 11.9%10.6–13.2 | 9.8% | 9.9% | Worse |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 3.9%3.6–4.3 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Better |
| Coronary heart disease | 3.9%3.5–4.4 | 6.2% | 6.4% | Better |
| COPD | 3.9%3.4–4.4 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Better |
| Stroke | 2.6%2.3–2.8 | 3.7% | 3.4% | Better |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 7%5.7–8.7 | 8.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10%8.4–11.7 | 11% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 19.6%16.5–23 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 23.3%20.5–26.1 | 17.4% | 15.4% | Worse |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 49.8%45–54.5 | 45.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.2–6.4 | 5.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 72.3%68.7–75.5 | 77.3% | 77.4% | Worse |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 70.7%67.8–73.4 | 68.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 72.5%69.5–75.4 | 82.8% | 87.1% | Worse |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 64.6%61.9–66.9 | 76.9% | 76.5% | Worse |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 64.6%60.8–68.2 | 62.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 78.4%73.1–83.1 | 78.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 19.5%16.9–22.1 | 16% | 20.6% | Worse |
| Feel lonely | 37.6%33.7–41.3 | 32% | 32.5% | Worse |
| Lack social and emotional support | 31.1%27.4–34.6 | 30.1% | 23.6% | About the same |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 20.9%17.6–24.4 | 17.3% | 15% | Worse |
| Worried about keeping housing | 14.7%12.5–17.1 | 10.9% | 12% | Worse |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 7.5%6.4–8.7 | 5.8% | 7.6% | Worse |
| Lack reliable transportation | 9.9%8.4–11.4 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 14%11.4–16.7 | 12.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 28.5%25–32.2 | 28.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 9.7%8.5–10.9 | 13.2% | 13.6% | Lower |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 16.1%13.9–18.4 | 12.5% | 13.9% | Higher |
| Hearing difficulty | 4.8%4.3–5.4 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Lower |
| Vision difficulty | 4.8%4.3–5.4 | 5.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 8.4%7.3–9.6 | 7.1% | 7.9% | Higher |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 2.9%2.6–3.3 | 3.4% | 3.8% | Lower |
Each figure is the share of adults 18+ unless the label says otherwise; small numbers after it are CDC’s likely range (95% interval). “About the same” means the Hawaii figure falls inside that range.
Questions about health in Laie
Is Laie a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Laie is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #44 of 93 in Hawaii. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Laie?
CDC estimates 30.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 26% and 35.7%, against 25.6% across Hawaii and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Laie?
Kahuku Medical Center in Kahuku, 2.9 miles in a straight line from Laie’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; it has no Medicare star rating.
How many people in Laie have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.2–6.4%), against 5.6% across Hawaii.
How accurate are these numbers?
They’re modeled estimates: CDC applies national survey answers to each area’s age, sex, race and education mix, so they describe who lives in Laie more than anything measured there. At the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B to A.
Neighbors talk health
Doctors taking patients, urgent care, staying active in Laie.
Health estimates: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health, 2025 release. The Hawaii figure combines its counties, weighted by adult population. Hospitals and star ratings: Medicare Care Compare (CMS). Health centers and shortage areas: HRSA. The Health Grade is our own summary of CDC’s estimates, not an official rating. Ages: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. Town boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau. This page isn’t medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.