Green Bay, Big Island, 2015
Wainaku’s story
Wainaku in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
Explore the history →WainakuHI
A town of 967.
Population
967
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$536K
Census ACS
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
44.7
years
Jobs based here
73
A commuter town
Is Wainaku a good place to live?
Wainaku has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
967 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
HiloPaukaaWainaku
Nearby attractions
All 27 attractions →Mauna Kea and 15 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wainaku. Close and well known come first.
Big draw25 mi MountainMauna Kea
Big draw25 mi MountainKīlauea
Big draw37 mi MountainMauna Loa
24 mi National ParkHawai'i Volcanoes National Park1.9M visitors a year
2 mi WaterfallRainbow Falls
9 mi State parkAkaka Falls State ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mauna Kea: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kīlauea: Hawaii Land Cover Analysis project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, Public domain · 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 · Rainbow Falls: Kyle Hawton, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Akaka Falls State Park: Robert Linsdell from St. Andrews, Canada, CC BY 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Wainaku: who provides what
Wainaku is unincorporated, so Hawaii County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerHawaii Electric Light Co45.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHilo water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% 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 code9672096720 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 Wainaku.
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Wainaku, with inland flooding at the top
Expected losses in Wainaku break down as 58% from inland flooding and 35% from earthquakes. Compared with 100% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher.
100risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Wainaku’s kids attend
The Hawaii Department of Education school district runs its public schools. Its one school is below. Wainaku’s only public school teaches 122 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haaheo Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 122 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
More than half of Wainaku’s working residents commute to Hilo
1.2% of working residents work locally in Wainaku, where Hawaii’s towns sit at 3.7% and U.S. towns at 8%. Its income of the median household is $69,000. Half of commuters travel less than 4 miles. The top destinations are Hilo (55%), Kailua (6%) and Kaiminani (5%).
1%work in town
| Wainaku | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $100,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.2% | 3.7% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Wainaku1%
Hilo55%
Kailua6%
Kaiminani5%
Waikoloa Beach Resort4%
4 mi
median commute distance
73
jobs based in Wainaku
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Wainaku brings mild winters and pleasant summers
Its peak summer temperature is 83°F.
83°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter65–79°
Spring66–79°
Summer70–83°
Fall69–82°
83°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Wainaku is
13% of adults have diabetes in Wainaku, above both the Hawaii town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (12%). Of 32 CDC measures, Wainaku beats the Hawaii average on 1 and trails it on 8. In Wainaku, 24% of adults have obesity.
| Wainaku | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 27% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 45% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 19% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Hawaii
1 better23 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Wainaku | HI |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults sleeping under 7 hours | 38.7% | 45.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.7% | 8.5% |
Hilo Benioff Medical Center
2.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Who lives here
Ages in Wainaku track Hawaii closely
Nearly a quarter of Wainaku residents are 65 or older. The age mix tracks Hawaii closely: no broad group is more than 4 points off. The bachelor’s-degree share among adults 25 and older is 28%, against 36% across Hawaii. The midpoint age for Wainaku comes to 44.7 years.
44.7median age · HI 40.9
| Wainaku | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.7 years | 41.2 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 20% | 18% |
WainakuHawaiiUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma9%
High school21%
Some college27%
Associate’s15%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate9%
Women and men · all residents
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Hawaii, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Wainaku | HI | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.7% | 9.4% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 13.1% | 8.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.2% | 13.3% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 13.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.8% | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.9% | 12.4% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16% | 11.4% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.8% | 9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.6% | 6.8% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.3% | 26.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.1% | 19.6% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 15.3% | 10.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.9% | 22.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.8% | 13.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
Outdoors
3.7% of Wainaku is conserved land
The concentration of trails in Wainaku is 1.0 miles per square mile. 1.5 miles of trail.
3.7%conserved
| Wainaku | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.7% | 12% | 4.3% |
3.7%
conserved · 34 of 939 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
The median home in Wainaku sells for about $476K
For Wainaku, the median rent is $1,583 a month. The share of households in Wainaku who own their home: 74%.
$476Kmedian sale price
| Wainaku | Hawaii towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,583 a month | $2,015 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 71% | 73% |
3
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wainaku
17pages on Wainaku
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Wainaku
University of Hawaii at HiloUniversity or college · Public · Hilo3.1 mi$7,838 in-state tuitionHawaii Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hilo3.2 mi$3,204 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Wainaku residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Hawaii.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Wainaku for work
Where Wainaku’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
73jobs based in Wainaku
1%of working residents work in town
4 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wainaku
Census-designated place in Hawaii, U.S.
Wainaku (Hawaiian for 'pushing water') is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaiʻi, United States. The population was 1,147 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 256 ft
- Area code
- 808
Questions about Wainaku
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wainaku, HI a good place to live?
Wainaku has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.