Branta sandvicensis Volcano Winery Big Island, c. 2002
Volcano’s story
73 years in pictures
The archive holds 25 old photos and papers going back to 2002 and 5 maps from 1922 on.
- 1953Volcano is settled
VolcanoHI
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Population
746
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$386K
+1.5% in a year
Household income
$75K
median
Median age
59.9
years
Land area
55 sq mi
Is Volcano a good place to live?
Volcano’s average trip to work is 43 minutes, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare, none has a higher median age than Volcano. 43% of the land in Volcano is conserved, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve, at 3,815 acres. Volcano has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Volcano stand out
Where Volcano beats most towns.
A shrinking town
Volcano has shrunk 71% from 2010 to 2020
2,575 counted in 2010 and 736 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Nearby attractions
All 31 attractions →Kīlauea and 17 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Volcano. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi MountainKīlauea
Big draw26 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw21 mi MountainMauna Loa
2 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
39 mi MountainKama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount
28 mi BeachPunalu'u BeachSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Kīlauea: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Public domain · 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 · Kama‘ehuakanaloa Seamount: John Smith and Brooks Bays, Public domain · Punalu'u Beach: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Volcano: who provides what
Volcano is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHawaii Volcanoes Nat.parkNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers89% 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 code9678596785 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 Volcano.
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in Volcano
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 100% of U.S. communities.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesVolcanic activity
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Volcano’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Hawaii Department of Education school district. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Volcano School of Arts & Sciences - A Community PCS, with 325 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volcano School of Arts & Sciences - A Community PCSLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 325 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Volcano is conserved land
5.0 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Volcano’s trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
42.6%conserved
42.6%
conserved · 7,269 of 17,067 acres
5.0 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Puʻu Makaʻala Natural Area Reserve | — | 3,815 |
| 2. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park | — | 1,322 |
| 3. ʻOlaʻa Wilderness | — | 894 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A larger share of households own their home in Volcano than in most of Hawaii or the rest of the country
92% of households own their home in Volcano. The typical Volcano home is worth about $386,000, up 1.5% in a year, 54% below the Hawaii typical home.
$386KZillow home value
Typical home value
Volcano$386K
Hawaii$833K
+1.5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Volcano stands out in Hawaii and nationally: a typical July afternoon there is cooler
The July high in Volcano is 73°F. Volcano has warm winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain.
74°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter50–68°
Spring52–69°
Summer55–73°
Fall55–72°
74°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Volcano is
Volcano beats the Hawaii average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 18% of Volcano adults report frequent physical distress. Of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare, none has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Volcano.
| Volcano | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 12% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 32% | 33% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
6 better9 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Volcano | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 36.6% | 45.7% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14.7% | 17.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 5.3% |
Hilo Benioff Medical Center
19.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Volcano
18pages on Volcano
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Volcano; the nearest are
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo19.6 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo20.3 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Volcano residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
Small town
746 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Volcano Golf CourseMauna Loa EstatesMountain ViewVolcano
About Volcano
Census-designated place in Hawaii, U.S.
Volcano, or Volcano Village, is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States located in the District of Puna with a small portion of the CDP in the District of Kaʻū. As of the 2020 census, Volcano had a population of 736.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 55 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,750 ft
- ZIP code
- 96785
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Volcano
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Volcano, HI a good place to live?
Volcano has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.