PuakoHI
In Hawaii, this town has 259 residents.
Is Puako a good place to live?
54% of residents are 65 or older in Puako, against 20% in Hawaii’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. No town among the 94 in Hawaii we compare has a higher midpoint age than Puako. 28% of the land in Puako is conserved, above both the Hawaii town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve, at 31 acres. Puako has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
259 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Puako: who provides what
Puako 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 Puako.
Zillow puts the typical Puako home at about $2.22M
In the year to September 2026, typical home values climbed 4.6%. The midpoint rent in Puako is $1,813 a month. Puako: 70% of households own their home.
| Puako | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,813 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 71% | 73% |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Top of a very high hazard risk in Puako: inland flooding
Compared with 100% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage in Puako is higher. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 57% come from inland flooding and 18% from earthquakes.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Protected land: nearly a quarter of Puako
Count the trails in 4 parks and preserves and they come to 5.3 miles. Puako’s trail network density stands at 1.0 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 4, covering 63 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve | 0.8 mi | 31 |
| 2. Waialea Bay Marine Life Conservation District | — | 27 |
| 3. Waialea Bay Beach Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expect mild winters and hot summers in Puako
July afternoons reach 88°, January nights drop to 68° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A smaller share of adults in Puako feel lonely than in the typical Hawaii or U.S. town
Among 94 Hawaii towns, just 8 have a lower share of adults who have diabetes than Puako. For adults locally, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 14%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Puako beats Hawaii on 15 and trails on 3. Two figures for adults locally: 33% sleep under 7 hours, 15% get no exercise outside work.
| Puako | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 33% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 45% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 22% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 35% |
| What stands out | Puako | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.8% | 17.3% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.1% | 8.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 6.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Mauna Kea and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Puako. Close and well known come first.
Big draw27 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw37 mi MountainMauna Loa
34 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
19 mi MountainHualālai
5 mi National Historic SitePu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site22K visitors a year
37 mi National Historical ParkPu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park372K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Mauna Kea: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mauna Loa: Gordon Joly, 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 · Pu'ukohola Heiau National Historic Site: Bamse, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain
Everything we know about Puako
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Puako; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Puako residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
About Puako
Census-designated place in Hawaii, U.S.
Puakō (Hawaiian for 'sugarcane blossom') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 772 at the 2010 census, up from 429 at the 2000 census. The epicenter of the 2006 Kiholo Bay earthquake was some 6 miles (10 km) offshore of the village.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Puako
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Puako, HI a good place to live?
Puako has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.