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?
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
Natural hazards: very high risk in Volcano, mostly inland flooding
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Volcano comes to 100 of 100, above both Hawaii’s towns (93 of 100) and U.S. towns (44 of 100). 48% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 40%. Federal aid has come to Volcano households in 3 declared disasters; the latest was in 2026.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesVolcanic activity
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Volcano’s kids attend
The largest public high school is Volcano School of Arts & Sciences - A Community PCS, with 325 students. The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below.
| 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
Volcano keeps nearly a third of its land conserved
Trails total 5.0 miles in 6 parks and preserves. In Volcano, the trail network 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
Homes in Volcano are typically 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
Winters in Volcano are warm and summers cool, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 73°, January nights drop to 49° and snow is almost unheard of.
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
Only 4 of the 94 Hawaii towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Volcano. CDC measures, 32 in all: Volcano beats Hawaii on 6 and trails on 17. Volcano: 18% of adults report frequent physical distress.
| 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.