NaalehuHI
Home to 872 people, the town was settled in 1900.
Is Naalehu a good place to live?
Naalehu’s average commute is 42 minutes, against 28 minutes in Hawaii’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Naalehu. 27% of the land in Naalehu is conserved, against 12% in Hawaii’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Naalehu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
872 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Mauna Loa and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Naalehu. Close and well known come first.
Big draw29 mi MountainMauna Loa
Big draw31 mi MountainKīlauea
6 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
23 mi MountainKama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount
7 mi BeachPunalu'u Beach
13 mi Ancient siteKa LaePhoto credits
Mauna Loa: Gordon Joly, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kīlauea: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Public domain · Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Jos-uit-boston at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount: John Smith and Brooks Bays, Public domain · Punalu'u Beach: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Ka Lae: Holly Cheng, CC BY-SA 3.0
Moving to Naalehu: who provides what
Naalehu is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Naalehu.
The biggest natural risk in Naalehu is earthquakes, at a very high overall level
Compared with 100% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Naalehu is higher. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2026. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 48% come from earthquakes and 37% from inland flooding.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The schools Naalehu’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Enrollment at Naalehu’s public school: 412 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naalehu Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 412 | D |
NCES · EDFacts
Homes in Naalehu are worth about $405K, by Zillow’s estimate
Values fell 2.5% in the year to September 2026. Naalehu’s going rate for rent comes in at $1,617 a month. Also worth knowing: 77% of Naalehu households live in a home they own.
| Naalehu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,617 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Protected land: nearly a quarter of Naalehu
Walkers can cover 1.1 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Naalehu has one park or preserve, 6 acres in all.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Naalehu Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The climate in Naalehu brings mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 65° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A job hub: Naalehu has 1.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 119 commuters
The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (21%), Hilo (17%) and Kaiminani (5%). Just 4% of Naalehu’s working residents have a job in town. Only 5 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower median household income than Naalehu. 13% of residents live below the poverty line in the town.
| Naalehu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $68,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.7% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
How healthy Naalehu is
The share of adults in Naalehu who have been diagnosed with depression: 17%. Of 32 CDC measures, Naalehu beats the Hawaii average on 1 and trails it on 15. Only 3 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Naalehu.
| Naalehu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 19% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 12% | 12% |
| What stands out | Naalehu | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.9% | 17.4% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.4% | 7.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Everything we know about Naalehu
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Naalehu; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Naalehu residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Questions about Naalehu
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Naalehu, HI a good place to live?
Naalehu has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.