Photo: Christopher P. Becker aka Polihale at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0On CDC estimates, Lihue is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Lihue differs from Hawaii on 7 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 4 better, 3 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Lihue. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Lihue
Lihue is short on primary care and mental health care
Lihue’s county is a federal shortage area for primary care and mental health care, meaning too few providers for the people who live there. Getting care ↓
Cancer and arthritis run high in Lihue
1 in 13 adults have had cancer (8%), vs 6.7% across Hawaii. 1 in 4 adults have arthritis (26.9%), vs 23.2% across Hawaii. Age is part of it: 30% of residents are 65 or older (Hawaii 21%), and cancer and arthritis are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Lihue has a community health center but no hospital
Ho-Ola Lahui Hawaii is in town and charges on a sliding scale by income. The nearest ER is Wilcox Memorial Hospital, 3.8 miles away. Getting care ↓
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 Lihue’s likely range.
What’s behind Lihue’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lihue is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns, #26 of 93 in Hawaii. Obesity holds the grade up (fewer adults with obesity than almost every U.S. town); diabetes pulls it down (better than 42%).
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). Lihue’s median household income is $92,850; among the 9,594 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($70K–$116K), it’s healthier than 85%, about where its income would put it.
Care in and near Lihue
1 community health center in Lihue, plus the nearest just outside it.
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 Lihue; ≈ 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).
Out of every 100 Lihue adults…
Lihue runs above HI on 2 of 12 conditions. Tap one to see it as people.
Lihue is an older town: 30% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Hawaii. Arthritis and cancer rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Lihue as about how healthy they are.
Everyday habits, side by side with Hawaii
Share of adults, with the Hawaii figure marked.
11 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves
Keeping up with care
Share of Lihue adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Hawaii.
How Lihue adults are doing
On 1 of 4 measures, Lihue does better than Hawaii.
3 in 10 Lihue 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.
Making ends meet
Needs that shape health as much as any doctor visit: food, housing, utilities and a way to get around.
10.7% of Lihue adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.2% across Hawaii.
Lihue and the towns around it
Lihue’s Health Grade ranks 2nd of 3 graded towns around it.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Lihue adults live with a disability (Hawaii 28.7%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Lihue
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Lihue is better than Hawaii on 4 and worse on 3; on the rest, the Hawaii figure falls inside Lihue’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Lihue | HI | U.S. | vs HI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 16.7%14.6–19 | 18.4% | 19.4% | About the same |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.4%11–13.9 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 13%11.5–14.6 | 14.5% | 15.9% | About the same |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 21.7%17.8–26.2 | 25.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 12.6%11–14.4 | 12.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 34.2%30.9–37.9 | 31.5% | 34.4% | About the same |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 38.5%34.8–42.2 | 36.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 26.9%24.2–29.8 | 23.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.4%8.4–10.5 | 9.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 8%7.3–8.7 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 7%6.2–7.7 | 6.2% | 6.4% | About the same |
| COPD | 5.5%4.9–6.3 | 5.3% | 6.3% | About the same |
| Stroke | 4%3.6–4.3 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 10.1%8.1–12.2 | 8.5% | 12.3% | About the same |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.2%8.6–11.9 | 11% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 20.7%17.4–24.2 | 23% | 24.7% | About the same |
| Binge drinking | 15.1%12.9–17.5 | 17.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 42.3%37.3–47.4 | 45.7% | 36% | About the same |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5.2%4.3–6.3 | 5.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 77.2%74–80.3 | 77.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 66.7%63.4–69.8 | 68.3% | 63.2% | About the same |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 85.3%83.6–87 | 82.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 77.7%74.7–80.5 | 76.9% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 63.7%59.1–67.8 | 62.6% | 65.5% | About the same |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 69.8%62.6–75.9 | 78.3% | 76.4% | Worse |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 14.9%12.7–17.2 | 16% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 28.7%25–32.4 | 32% | 32.5% | About the same |
| Lack social and emotional support | 26.6%23.3–30 | 30.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 14.5%12.2–16.8 | 17.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 8.9%7.6–10.4 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 5.5%4.7–6.4 | 5.8% | 7.6% | About the same |
| Lack reliable transportation | 6.8%5.9–7.7 | 7.5% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 10.7%8.9–12.5 | 12.2% | 11.6% | About the same |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 25.9%22.7–29.2 | 28.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 12.8%11.2–14.6 | 13.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 11.1%9.8–12.6 | 12.5% | 13.9% | About the same |
| Hearing difficulty | 7.4%6.6–8.3 | 7.2% | 6.7% | About the same |
| Vision difficulty | 5%4.5–5.6 | 5.2% | 5.4% | About the same |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.6%5.8–7.4 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.3%3–3.7 | 3.4% | 3.8% | About the same |
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 Lihue
Is Lihue a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Lihue is healthier than 83% of U.S. towns: A− for health, #26 of 93 in Hawaii. Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes it’s healthier than 85%. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Lihue?
CDC estimates 21.7% of adults have obesity, likely between 17.8% and 26.2%, against 25.6% across Hawaii and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Lihue?
Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihue, 3.8 miles in a straight line from Lihue’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Lihue have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5.2% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.3–6.3%), 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 Lihue 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 Lihue.
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.