Lower Hamakua Ditch, Flume 49, 3/4 mile west of intersection of Hauola Road and Hawaii State Route 19 (Hawaii Belt Road…
Paauilo’s story
126 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
- 1900Paauilo is settled
PaauiloHI
A town settled in 1900, now home to 610 people.
Population
610
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$462K
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$79K
median
Median age
42.2
years
Jobs based here
48
A commuter town
Is Paauilo a good place to live?
Paauilo’s typical journey to work is 38 minutes, above both the Hawaii town median (28 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 2 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower going rate for rent than Paauilo. Paauilo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
610 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Getting set up
Moving to Paauilo: who provides what
Paauilo is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPaauilo water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers97% 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 code9677696776 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 Paauilo.
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Paauilo is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Paauilo’s FEMA hazard score comes in at 100 of 100. Federal aid has come to Paauilo households in 4 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 61% come from inland flooding and 33% from earthquakes.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Paauilo’s kids attend
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. 180 students attend Paauilo’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paauilo Elementary & Intermediate SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–9 | Grades PK–9 | 180 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
The typical home in Paauilo: about $462K
Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 6 have a higher owner-occupancy rate than Paauilo.
$462KZillow home value
Typical home value
Paauilo$462K
Hawaii$833K
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With only 0.7 jobs per working resident, most people in Paauilo work out of town
Employers in Paauilo added 26 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 48. Half the trips to work are shorter than 43 miles. The top destinations are Urban Honolulu (21%), Hilo (19%) and Waimea (17%).
0%work in town
Where working residents work
In Paauilo0%
Urban Honolulu21%
Hilo19%
Waimea17%
Kailua3%
43 mi
median commute distance
48
jobs based in Paauilo
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in Paauilo
The typical July afternoon high here is 82°F.
83°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter57–78°
Spring59–79°
Summer64–83°
Fall63–82°
83°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Paauilo is
For adults in Paauilo, the share who have been diagnosed with depression is 19%. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Paauilo is ahead of Hawaii on 3 and behind on 10. Among adults locally, 28% have high blood pressure and 74% had a checkup this year.
| Paauilo | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 76% | 79% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
3 better19 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Paauilo | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 6.7% |
| Fewer adults with high blood pressure | 27.6% | 31.5% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.3% | 7.5% |
Honoka'a Hospital and Skilled Nursing
6.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Conservation land takes up 2.4% of Paauilo
Walkers can cover 0.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. For Paauilo, the density of trails is 0.5 miles per square mile.
2.4%conserved
| Paauilo | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2.4% | 12% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
2.4%
conserved · 19 of 796 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hauola Forest Reserve | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Mauna Kea and 16 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Paauilo. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MountainMauna Kea
34 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
40 mi MountainHualālai
19 mi State parkAkaka Falls State Park
28 mi WaterfallRainbow Falls
29 mi National Historic SitePu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site22K visitors a yearSources: 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 · Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park: Jos-uit-boston at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hualālai: Photograph by J. Kauahikaua., Public domain · Akaka Falls State Park: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Rainbow Falls: Kyle Hawton, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site: Bamse, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Paauilo
17pages on Paauilo
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Paauilo; the nearest are
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo29.9 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo30.2 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 8 of every 100 Paauilo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Paauilo for work
Where Paauilo’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
48jobs based in Paauilo
0%of working residents work in town
43 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Paauilo
Census-designated place in Hawaii, U.S.
Paʻauilo (English: ) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 618 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 712 ft
- ZIP code
- 96776
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Paauilo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Paauilo, HI a good place to live?
Paauilo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.