Among U.S. towns with similar household incomes, Poipu is healthier than 53%
Poipu differs from Hawaii on 19 of 32 measures CDC estimates: 14 better, 5 worse.
Modeled estimates for adults 18+, CDC’s own estimate for Poipu. How CDC estimates town health
What stands out about health in Poipu
Cancer, arthritis and heart disease run high in Poipu
1 in 8 adults have had cancer (12.1%), vs 6.7% across Hawaii. 1 in 3 adults have arthritis (32.5%), vs 23.2% across Hawaii. Heart disease is also above the state: 8%, vs 6.2% across Hawaii. In all, Poipu runs above Hawaii on five of 11 chronic conditions. Age is part of it: 39% of residents are 65 or older (Hawaii 21%), and cancer, arthritis and heart disease are more common later in life. Conditions ↓
Against towns with similar incomes, Poipu’s lead shrinks
Poipu is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns, but 53% of the 3,288 towns with similar household incomes ($107K–$179K). Part of its edge is what towns with its incomes tend to have. Health Grade ↓
Poipu keeps up with checkups
It beats Hawaii on three of five routine checkups and screenings, including dentist visits (73.2% vs 68.3%) and cholesterol checks (88.1% vs 82.8%). Checkups ↓
Poipu is short on primary care and mental health care
Poipu’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 ↓
Poipu adults report less loneliness
Loneliness (25.8% vs 32%), frequent mental distress (12.6% vs 14.5%) and lack of emotional support (21.6% vs 30.1%) all run below Hawaii. Mind & connection ↓
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 Poipu’s likely range; at the ends of CDC’s ranges the grade could be anywhere from B+ to A+.
What’s behind Poipu’s grade
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Poipu is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns. All seven estimates beat the typical U.S. town. The strongest is obesity (fewer adults with obesity than 97% of towns); the weakest is diabetes, still better than 65%.
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). Poipu’s median household income is $143,333; among the 3,288 U.S. towns within 25% of that ($107K–$179K), it’s healthier than 53%, about where its income would put it.
Out of every 100 Poipu adults…
Poipu runs below HI on 1 of 12 conditions and above it on 5. Tap one to see it as people.
Poipu is an older town: 39% of residents are 65 or older, vs 21% across Hawaii. Heart disease, COPD and arthritis rise with age, so higher rates here say as much about who lives in Poipu as about how healthy they are.
Keeping up with care
Share of Poipu adults getting routine care. The full ring is 100%; the dark tick marks Hawaii.
How Poipu adults are doing
On 3 of 4 measures, Poipu does better than Hawaii.
1 in 4 Poipu 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.
Care in and near Poipu
No hospital or community health center in Poipu 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 Poipu; ≈ 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).
Everyday habits, side by side with Hawaii
Share of adults, with the Hawaii figure marked.
5.2 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.
8.2% of Poipu adults receive SNAP (food stamps), compared with 12.2% across Hawaii.
Poipu and the towns around it
How health changes across the town line.
Living with a disability
Shown without a better/worse judgment.
of Poipu adults live with a disability (Hawaii 28.7%). Walking or climbing stairs is the most common.
Every CDC estimate for Poipu
Share of adults, 40 measures, with CDC’s likely range.
On the 32 measures below that have a better and a worse direction, Poipu is better than Hawaii on 14 and worse on 5; on the rest, the Hawaii figure falls inside Poipu’s likely range, so we call them about the same. Disability and SNAP are described, not compared as better or worse.
| Adults who… | Poipu | HI | U.S. | vs HI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall health | ||||
| Fair or poor health | 15.8%13.5–18.3 | 18.4% | 19.4% | Better |
| Frequent physical distress (physical health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.9%11.3–14.6 | 12.3% | 13% | About the same |
| Frequent mental distress (mental health not good 14+ days a month) | 12.6%11.1–14.1 | 14.5% | 15.9% | Better |
| Conditions | ||||
| Obesity | 24%19.7–28.9 | 25.6% | 32.9% | About the same |
| Diabetes | 11.1%9.6–12.8 | 12.4% | 12% | About the same |
| High blood pressure | 36.6%33.3–40.4 | 31.5% | 34.4% | Worse |
| High cholesterol (adults screened in 5 years) | 39.6%35.7–43.5 | 36.1% | 37.1% | About the same |
| Arthritis | 32.5%29.5–35.9 | 23.2% | 25.3% | Worse |
| Asthma | 9.7%8.7–10.9 | 9.8% | 9.9% | About the same |
| Cancer, other than skin cancer | 12.1%11–13.2 | 6.7% | 7.9% | Worse |
| Coronary heart disease | 8%7–9.1 | 6.2% | 6.4% | Worse |
| COPD | 6.6%5.5–7.8 | 5.3% | 6.3% | Worse |
| Stroke | 4.2%3.7–4.7 | 3.7% | 3.4% | About the same |
| Lost all teeth (ages 65+) | 5.9%4.7–7.2 | 8.5% | 12.3% | Better |
| Habits | ||||
| Smoke cigarettes | 10.1%8.2–12 | 11% | 11.8% | About the same |
| No exercise outside work | 18.1%15.1–21.6 | 23% | 24.7% | Better |
| Binge drinking | 16.7%14.3–19.3 | 17.4% | 15.4% | About the same |
| Sleep under 7 hours | 37.1%32.3–41.9 | 45.7% | 36% | Better |
| Checkups and coverage | ||||
| No health insurance (ages 18–64) | 5%4.1–6.2 | 5.6% | 11% | About the same |
| Checkup in the past year | 79.1%76–82 | 77.3% | 77.4% | About the same |
| Dentist visit in the past year | 73.2%70.2–75.9 | 68.3% | 63.2% | Better |
| Cholesterol check in 5 years | 88.1%86.5–89.7 | 82.8% | 87.1% | Better |
| Taking blood pressure medicine (adults with high blood pressure) | 79.4%76.2–82.3 | 76.9% | 76.5% | About the same |
| Colorectal cancer screening (ages 45–75) | 72%68.2–75.5 | 62.6% | 65.5% | Better |
| Mammogram in 2 years (women 50–74) | 72.8%65.8–78.6 | 78.3% | 76.4% | About the same |
| Mind and connection | ||||
| Ever told they have depression | 16.8%14.4–19.4 | 16% | 20.6% | About the same |
| Feel lonely | 25.8%22.2–29.5 | 32% | 32.5% | Better |
| Lack social and emotional support | 21.6%18.4–25 | 30.1% | 23.6% | Better |
| Everyday needs | ||||
| Worried about having enough food | 10.4%8.6–12.5 | 17.3% | 15% | Better |
| Worried about keeping housing | 6.8%5.7–8 | 10.9% | 12% | Better |
| Threatened with a utility shut-off | 4.3%3.6–5 | 5.8% | 7.6% | Better |
| Lack reliable transportation | 5.1%4.3–5.9 | 7.5% | 7.9% | Better |
| Received SNAP (food stamps) | 8.2%6.5–10.1 | 12.2% | 11.6% | Lower |
| Disability | ||||
| Any disability | 26.7%23.3–30.5 | 28.7% | 30.1% | About the same |
| Difficulty walking or climbing stairs | 13.3%11.4–15.5 | 13.2% | 13.6% | About the same |
| Difficulty concentrating or remembering | 10.6%9.1–12.1 | 12.5% | 13.9% | Lower |
| Hearing difficulty | 8.6%7.5–9.7 | 7.2% | 6.7% | Higher |
| Vision difficulty | 4.4%3.8–4.9 | 5.2% | 5.4% | Lower |
| Difficulty doing errands alone | 6.3%5.5–7.3 | 7.1% | 7.9% | About the same |
| Difficulty dressing or bathing | 3.2%2.8–3.7 | 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 Poipu
Is Poipu a healthy place to live?
On seven CDC estimates for adults, Poipu is healthier than 88% of U.S. towns: A for health. These are modeled estimates of who lives there, not a measure of local care or habits alone.
What is the obesity rate in Poipu?
CDC estimates 24% of adults have obesity, likely between 19.7% and 28.9%, against 25.6% across Hawaii and 32.9% nationally.
What hospital is closest to Poipu?
Wilcox Memorial Hospital in Lihue, 7.4 miles in a straight line from Poipu’s center point, is the nearest general hospital with an emergency room; Medicare rates it 2 of 5 stars.
How many people in Poipu have no health insurance?
CDC estimates 5% of adults ages 18–64 have no health insurance (likely 4.1–6.2%), 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 Poipu 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 Poipu.
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.