CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

19.76° N · 156.00° W · GEOID 1523675

Kaiminani

Hawaii County, Hawaii · part of the Hilo, HI metro

HawaiiKaiminani, HIKaiminaniKaiminani

The short answer

Kaiminani is home to 11,465 people. Median household income is $110,560 a year and median rent is $1,202 a month, 13.0% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $772,800, about 7.0x annual median household income.

The story in Kaiminani is how fast things are changing. Household income rose 8.2% a year while rent rose -0.1% between the 2020 and 2024 surveys, pay gained on rent more than in 98% of places its size. It is the 2nd-lowest of 55 Hawaii places we track. Also notable: The median rent takes 13% of the median household's income, a smaller share than in 96% of places its size. It is the lowest of 55 Hawaii places we track.

67OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Above average

Kaiminani scores better than 67% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 4th of 55 in Hawaii.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%52
Economy 20%75
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%25
Education 10%52
Commute 10%78
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,202
12% below the median place
Median household income
$110,560
38% above the median place
Median home value
$772,800
142% above the median place
Unemployment
3.8%
22% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Kaiminani

  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 0.3% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 98% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
  • Value for moneyRent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 99 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.
01

Moving to Kaiminani

Hawaii County gains about 6.0 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in7,086
Moved out6,143
Net+943

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Hawaii, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within HawaiiOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$85K
Leavers$63K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Hawaii County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
4.4% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.4% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Hawaii County report $84,900 a year in income on average; those leaving, $62,500, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$48,100 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,202 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,621 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $772,800.
Getting to work
20 minutes each way on average; 13.5% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Waterloo, IL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
3.4%
71% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
4.4%
23% below the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people6
6.0
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureKaiminaniAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year14.4%23% below
Moved from another state13.4%71% above
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure6.0above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$84,92120% above
Income of households moving out6County figure$62,52311% below
02

What it costs to live here

Rent is about 30% lower than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in the same metro area. That can mean good value, or drawbacks these figures do not capture, such as crime, schools or location.

Kaiminani13.0%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$48,080
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
13.0%
36% below the median place
Home price to income
7.0x
84% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
13%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$96,600
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Kaiminani, $1,202 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Kaiminani, but easier on the budget

Places that match Kaiminani on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Waterloo, IL9310.8% vs 13.0%n/aCompare
Page, AZ908.8% vs 13.0%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Kaiminani.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Kaiminani? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Property tax rate1
0.3%
69% below the median place
Median home value1
$772,800
142% above the median place
Median year built1
1994
1% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureKaiminaniAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,20212% below
Rent to income113.0%36% below
Property tax rate10.3%69% below
Home price to income17.0x84% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$2,08129% above
HUD area median income3County figure$98,3008% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,19933% below
Median home value1$772,800142% above
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure6.1%92% above
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure58.5%14% above
Homeownership173.6%11% above
Renters paying 30%+157.4%13% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,62140% above
Vacant homes110.8%53% above
Median year built119941% above
03

Work and pay

Mean commute is 20 min, 18% below the median place.

Mean commute1
20 min
18% below the median place
Median household income1
$110,560
38% above the median place
Unemployment1
3.8%
22% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$46,048 +15%
Works from home13.5% +8%
Poverty rate9.8% −9%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureKaiminaniAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$110,56038% above
Income per person1$46,04815% above
Unemployment13.8%22% below
Average annual pay5County figure$61,7576% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure6.7%81% above
Jobs5County figure74,16851% below
Poverty rate19.8%9% below
Mean commute120 min18% below
Works from home113.5%8% above
Commutes by transit1County figure0.7%20% below
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 1.7%, 73% below the median place.

No health insurance1
1.7%
73% below the median place
High school or higher1
97.1%
5% above the median place
Median age1
44.0
13% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Homes with broadband95.3% +3%
Household size2.7 +7%
Born abroad9.3% +6%
Bachelor's or higher33.1% +3%
All 8 people measures
MeasureKaiminaniAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population111,4653705th largest
Median age144.013% above
Bachelor's or higher133.1%3% above
High school or higher197.1%5% above
Household size12.77% above
Born abroad19.3%6% above
No health insurance11.7%73% below
Homes with broadband195.3%3% above
05

Life in Kaiminani

The nearest National Park Service site is Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, about 4 miles away.

99 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 8 of them National Historic Landmarks. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents6.1 −40%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k7.0 −37%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails9 km 4.7×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park 4 miles
  • Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park 23 miles
  • Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site 24 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars22.5 +8%
Shops31.2 +3%
Arts, recreation and fitness4.2 +2%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.3 −14%
Child care centers2.0 −13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site9
3.8
88% below the median place
Public schools11
55
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students11
27,129
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureKaiminaniAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools11County figure55above (median 9)
Public school students11County figure27,129above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher11County figure14.28% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure22.58% above
Shops per 10k7County figure31.23% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure4.22% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure17.314% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure2.013% below
Parks per 10k86.140% below
Playgrounds per 10k80.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k87.037% below
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails89.3365% above
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site93.888% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles9350% above
National Register listings10County figure99above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Heat wave risk is 0.0, below the median place (median 90.1).

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Kaiminani. Larger places are fetched first.

Heat wave risk12
0.0
below the median place (median 90.1)
Tornado risk12
7.4
91% below the median place
Median air quality index13
32
26% below the median place
All 7 weather and risk measures
MeasureKaiminaniAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Natural hazard risk12County figure98.57% above
Hurricane risk12County figure68.33% below
Tornado risk12County figure7.491% below
Wildfire risk12County figure98.361% above
Heat wave risk12County figure0.0below (median 90.1)
Median air quality index13County figure3226% below
Good air days13County figure86.0%26% above
08

Kaiminani in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 13% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 13% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Kaiminani does better than 52% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 33%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,202/mo (2024)$1,510/mo$1,240 to $1,840/mo+3.9%
Median household income$110,560 (2024)$142,500$120,500 to $168,500+4.3%
Median home value$772,800 (2024)$1,096,000$796,000 to $1,510,000+6.0%

The median home would be worth 7.7 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Kaiminani

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Doney Park, AZ$1,212$104,967Compare
Cloverdale, CA$1,435$117,177Compare
Kahului, HI$1,488$98,077Compare
Marathon, FL$1,633$89,355Compare
Marathon, FLKahului, HICloverdale, CADoney Park, AZKaiminani, HIKaiminaniDoney ParkCloverdaleKahuluiMarathonKaiminaniDoney ParkCloverdaleKahuluiMarathon

Places built like Kaiminani

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Kaiminani performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Kaiminani, HI13.0%8.2%/yrn/a
Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI17.8%10.0%/yrn/aCompare
Canby, OR18.3%6.7%/yr-0.9%Compare
Alpine, CA21.8%4.3%/yrn/aCompare
Waimea, HI22.4%1.9%/yrn/aCompare
Enumclaw, WA19.3%14.7%/yr5.1%Compare
Deschutes River Woods, OR25.1%7.1%/yrn/aCompare

Common questions

Is Kaiminani a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 67 out of 100, better than 67% of the places we rate and 4th of 55 in Hawaii. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.3% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 98% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 99 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings. On cost, space and class size it scores 70 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Kaiminani expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 13.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $772,800.

What salary do you need to live in Kaiminani?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $48,080 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Kaiminani?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Doney Park, AZ, Cloverdale, CA, Kahului, HI and Marathon, FL.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  10. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  11. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Kaiminani with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Kaiminani itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/kaiminani-hawaii

Citytistics. “Kaiminani, Hawaii.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/kaiminani-hawaii/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.