Poipu Sunset, 2007
Poipu’s story
Poipu in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1963 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →PoipuHI
A town of 1,175. A regional job hub with 2,769 jobs.
Population
1,175
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$1.11M
Census ACS
Household income
$143K
median
Median age
60.5
years
Jobs based here
2,769
A job hub
Is Poipu a good place to live?
Poipu’s best subject grades are an A for health and the outdoors; its weakest is a D for cost of living. 39% of residents are 65 or older in Poipu, above both Hawaii’s towns (20%) and U.S. towns (18%). Of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Poipu. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 78% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Poipu’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both Hawaii’s towns (0.6) and U.S. towns (0.4). On the outdoors, just 11 of Hawaii’s 125 towns do better. Sakuichi and Chieko Matsumoto Residence is on the National Register of Historic Places. Poipu has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Poipu stand out
Where Poipu beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here2,769
Residents who work509
Work
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 99% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
32 measures vs. Hawaii
14 better13 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Poipu | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.4% | 17.3% |
HealthA
Healthier than 88% of U.S. towns
Beats HI on 14 of 32 CDC measures, trails it on 5
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Small town
1,175 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
KoloaPoipu
How Poipu grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Hawaii), ordered by how far Poipu is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →HealthWilcox Memorial Hospital 7.4 miles awayAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.2 of 20; 6.3% of households have no car; 11.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →Jobs & income$143K median household incomeBOpen →
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 →
Getting set up
Moving to Poipu: who provides what
Poipu is unincorporated, so Kauai County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerKauai Island Utility Cooperative38.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKalaheo-Koloa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKauai CountyKauai 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 hereKauai County ClerkKauai County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2021
ZIP code9675696756 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 Poipu.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Poipu has 5.4 jobs for every working resident, and 2,658 people commute in
About one in 5 of Poipu’s working residents works in town. Poipu’s average trip to work is 17 minutes. Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 4 have a higher median household income than Poipu.
22%work in town
| Poipu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $143,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 3.7% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.5% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Poipu22%
Urban Honolulu17%
Lihue16%
Koloa5%
Puhi3%
9 mi
median commute distance
2,769
jobs based in Poipu
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 64% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthA
Poipu stands out in Hawaii and nationally: a smaller share of its adults feel lonely
26% of adults feel lonely in Poipu. Only 4 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Poipu. 16% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Poipu.
88%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Poipu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 17% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
14 better13 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Poipu | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.4% | 17.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.8% | 10.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.1% | 6.7% |
Wilcox Memorial Hospital
7.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
High risk in Poipu, with inland flooding at the top
78risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Poipu has mild winters and pleasant summers
Poipu has warm winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 66° and snow is almost unheard of.
85°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter67–79°
Spring69–80°
Summer74–84°
Fall73–83°
85°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsA
Poipu has set aside 6.3% of its land for conservation
5.2 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
6.3%conserved
6.3%
conserved · 118 of 1,860 acres
5.2 mi
of trails · 1.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Poʻipū Beach Park | 0.2 mi | 9 |
| 2. Weliweli Park | — | 7 |
| 3. Poipu Crater Garden | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade D
Homes in Poipu sell for about $1.15M
The median rent in Poipu is $2,840 a month.
$1.15Mmedian sale price
| Poipu | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,840 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 81% | 71% | 73% |
Market temperature
167
days on market
97.7%
sale-to-list price
7
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 11 attractions →Russian Fort Elizabeth and 10 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Poipu. Close and well known come first.
14 mi LandmarkRussian Fort Elizabeth
24 mi State parkNā Pali Coast State Park
18 mi Canyon & gorgeWaimea Canyon State Park
2 mi GardenAllerton Garden
24 mi BeachHanakapiai Beach4 mi GardenNational Tropical Botanical GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Russian Fort Elizabeth: en:User:Mel29, Public domain · Nā Pali Coast State Park: Jmblanco74, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waimea Canyon State Park: Aaronbernstein, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Allerton Garden: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hanakapiai Beach: Jeff Kubina, CC BY-SA 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Poipu
16pages on Poipu
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Poipu
About 4 of every 100 Poipu residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A job hub
Every workday, about 2,658 people come to Poipu for work
Where Poipu’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
2,769jobs based in Poipu
22%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Poipu
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Poipu, HI expensive?
Yes. That is 11.4 years of the area's median household income ($97,668 across the Kapaa, HI area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.