Median Income
$87,639
household / year
Median Home Value
$369,700
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,357
gross / month
Cost of Living
101
national avg = 100

Is Papaikou, HI a Good Place to Live?

Papaikou is a small town of 1,096 in Hawaii, with a median household income of $87,639 and a 5.6% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.

Strengths: Papaikou stands out for solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Papaikou is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Papaikou city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 101.0

Papaikou's overall cost of living index is 101.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Papaikou costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.

Metric Papaikou, HI National Avg
Median Home Value $369,700 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,357 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 72.8% 65.9%
Median Household Income $87,639 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Crime data for Papaikou is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Papaikou is served primarily by Hawaii Department of Education. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.7:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Papaikou, HI National Avg
School District Hawaii Department of Education —
Elementary Schools 183 —
Middle Schools 42 —
High Schools 46 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 13.7:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 20.4% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 93.0% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Papaikou sees average highs of 78.7°F in January and 82.8°F in July, with 154.8 inches of annual precipitation .

MetricPapaikou, HI
Average High — January78.7°F
Average High — July82.8°F
Annual Precipitation154.8"
Annual SnowfallTrace / None

Demographics

MetricPapaikou, HINational Avg
Population1,096—
Median Age36.438.9
Unemployment Rate5.6%3.7%
Avg Commute Time24.6 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)13.3%59.3%
Black or African American0.0%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino4.4%18.9%
Asian28.3%6.3%
Under 1821.1%22.2%
65 and over15.4%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Paukaa, HI 2 mi Pepeekeo, HI 3 mi Wainaku, HI 3 mi Honomu, HI 5 mi Hilo, HI 7 mi

ZIP Codes in Papaikou

Papaikou, HI is covered by 1 ZIP code:

96781

Papaikou vs Other Cities

Papaikou, HI vs Paukaa, HI Papaikou, HI vs Pepeekeo, HI Papaikou, HI vs Wainaku, HI Papaikou, HI vs Honomu, HI Papaikou, HI vs Hilo, HI

Frequently Asked Questions

Papaikou's cost of living index is 101, where 100 is the national average. That puts Papaikou roughly 1% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $369,700 and median rent is $1,357/month.
Crime data for Papaikou is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
Public schools in Papaikou are operated by Hawaii Department of Education. The district has 183 elementary, 42 middle, and 46 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13.7:1. 20.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Papaikou, HI has a population of 1,096, a median household income of $87,639, and an unemployment rate of 5.6%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Papaikou averages 78.7°F in January and 82.8°F in July. Annual rainfall is 154.8 inches . Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Papaikou, HI is covered by 1 ZIP code: 96781.
The population of Papaikou, Hawaii is 1,096 with a median age of 36.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Papaikou: cost of living index 101 (100 = US average), median home $369,700, median household income $87,639, schools rated B-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Papaikou side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.